Blood Diamonds
by Mizuyah
Summary: AU. In a world where vampires and lycans are at loggherheads, Hinata is daughter of the Hyuuga coven's leader. Exposed to battle, she soon becomes keen to stop the warfare once and for all. Does the Hyuuga family heirloom - the Byakugan - hold the key?
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Oh my god! Looks like I'm back, folks. But obviously, those who support Naruto don't know me very well as I'm new on the scene. I haven't written a fanfic in three years, but I suddenly got a burst of creative energy and planned this fic in two days. This will be an AU fic that will eventually sport a Kiba/Hinata pairing. I'm actually a huge advocate of odd pairings, but these two seemed to fit for this story design. I gained this idea from the movie "Underworld" and have utilised some of the ideas in that here - not all – and some of my own. Please refrain from flaming me about my portrayal of vampires and lycans. This is merely a fictional outlook and I'm going as close to gold as possible. I hope you enjoy my newest creation.

* * *

**Blood Diamonds**

_Prologue_

Midnight had passed by a mere moment ago, and the beating of the music was so angry against the residence's walls that anybody located within five metres of the building itself could hear its melody blaring along the quiet streets. The abode was stationed at the end of the road in a seemingly deserted area; the surrounding locale was decrepit and rundown; homes had either been vacated or the poorest of souls had shacked up inside them instead for lack of money or incentive to move out of the area. While most of the windows were blacked out, lights having been switched off hours before, curtains closed and feeble windows sealed tight in attempts to block out the noise, the club in itself raged on into the night. It demonstrated no signs of stopping the party, as was always customary for a Thursday night.

Police were very much scarce about the area because everyone was aware of how dangerous it was. No one had the gall to complain anymore. The people that had would often disappear without a trace. And because there were no complaints, there was nothing the law could do about it. Without incentive, they could not intervene. But the residents in the vicinity knew that there was something strange about the place. It seemed that only a certain type of character walked through its doors at night and the very same characters would vanish before sunrise. Some had likened them to gangsters; others had specified seeing much worse, but with no concrete proof and the inexplicable disappearances of normal folk scaring away any paparazzi, no one knew what to make of it all; no one knew what to believe.

But to those in the know, the club – The Black Sheep – was a place of sanctuary. It possessed no windows for outsiders to peer in at the insiders and only granted access to the elite. Bypassing the main entrance whereby two burly bodyguards stood on watch, its queues were often stupendous before the midnight toll. Young women beautified for the evening, some on the arms of men, their immaculately dressed escorts. Make-up applied on pasty-white skin; shoulders and legs bare as if unfazed by the evening chill. And once granted access, the floors were strewn with the masses, individuals rubbing shoulders with each other in avid union, music filling the air, pumping the room; and the sweet stench of fresh blood fragrant from behind the bar as its employees served the gathering. For as described by the tenants of the area, The Black Sheep was no ordinary nightclub. The Black Sheep was owned by creatures of the night. Its customers – the vampire.

"Dude, I'm so…wasted…"

Two brethren lopsidedly sauntered out through the doors of the nightclub and into the street. Both were in high spirits – intoxicated – one moreso than the other. Of the more sober of the pair, the dark-haired vampire was having a difficult time of holding his colleague upright. He held his friend's arm up over his shoulder and supported his body with his remaining arm, but needless to say, as both men were legless, the latter indeed appeared very comical at that. "How much did I have…to drink?" came the secondary slur. His cornflower tresses were somewhat distorted from how they had initially been styled.

"Come on…we're heading back…" The dark-haired accomplice spoke as he led his friend across the street. "Try to walk straight…dammit!"

The other did not seem to regard the statement however, as he tried to straighten himself up in his friend's grasp. A dizzy spell however, sent one of his feet tumbling over the other and both men slanted in their waltz to one side, both nearly falling rather painfully on the tarmac. The blond laughed.

"Fuck! This ain't funny," came the angry retort. "Toldja you shoulda taken it easy on the shots."

"Whatchu talkin' about?" The blond didn't seem to comprehend that his colleague was suffering with the additional weight – that or he simply couldn't see it through the slight blurred vision that his own alcohol consumption had caused, "Yer as drunk as I am." His body was hurled to an uneasy stand and the two men proceeded rather gradually around the next corner.

The street here was a little broader than that that housed the club and on the opposite side, resided the local park. In the daytime, it was often a place of recreation for any of the neighbourhood kids, but past dusk, it barely homed any activity at all; no one brave enough to venture across its eerie pathways and tall shrubs alone at night. Both men approached the entrance with a meagre indifference; they had often crossed through the park together on the way to the club and knew their way back and forth, even in their inebriated state. The gates had been left wide open in an almost welcoming fashion and both characters began the slow haul through the empty terrace.

"…And that chick…whoa…she so wants me…" The more intoxicated of the two slurred. "D'ya see her right…what was her name again…I forget…but yeah! We're def'nately goin' back 'moro."

"Yeah! Well I'm not carrying you home tomorrow!" The other retorted. It seemed the work of towing his drunken comrade back home was gradually beginning to drain the effects of his own alcohol intake. What had started out as a decent evening between friends, had quickly turned sour when his blond accomplice had gotten into an argument with one of the bartenders. Needless to say, that had cut their evening short and before the security guards had gotten a chance to intervene, he had decided that the best option would be to take him home. Every now and again however, his own vision would blur, but frequent blinking coupled with the cold night air was gradually beginning to wake him up a bit. Clearly, however, it wasn't having the desired effect as quickly as he might have liked - because neither he, nor his colleague, seemed to sense the shadows that were closing in on them.

"Hey…," The blond screwed up his face somewhat as his friend dragged him along the pathway. "You smell that right?"

His associate cocked an eyebrow, but before he could respond, two figures seemingly leapt out of the darkness and cornered both vampires. It took the blond two seconds longer then his comrade to notice that they were no longer alone. One stranger was stationed directly behind them and the other ahead of them. Head lolled forward somewhat, the inebriated individual lifted his head and squinted at the figure in an attempt to decipher any distinct features.

"Who're you?" He barked. "Can't you see we're walkin'…here." The stranger demonstrated no signs of moving. Acquiring irritation at the stranger's standoffish appeal, he yelled at him again. "MOVE!"

"Shut up!" The words however, were not hissed from the intruder, but from the friend that held him upright. The blond tilted his gaze to the side and peered up at the profile of his comrade. Though his skin had always possessed a pasty hue, there was something apprehensive about his facial expression. It was as if his companion had finally sobered up and noticed something that he himself had not. "Just shut up, alright!"

"But…he's in the way," It seemed that he had yet to notice the additional candidate stationed directly behind them, but all it took was a small snigger to silence him.

"Trust you to find us a pair of drunks," The stranger stationed ahead of them beckoned. "They reek."

"Well as if _you_ could do better," The second intruder responded, causing both vampires to glance behind them at the second figure, also, obscured by the lack of streetlights in the vicinity.

"As a matter of fact, I could, but a catch is a catch,"

"What is it you want exactly?" The sobered vampire retorted.

"Just a little piece of information," The first stranger responded. Both his arms were hung adjacent from his body, hands and body disguised in a long black trench coat. "You wouldn't happen to know about a gem called the Byakugan, would you?"

"The Byakugan?" questioned the blond vampire.

Still holding his friend in place, the second creature of the night sneered. "Even if I did, I wouldn't tell the likes of you," He derided. "I know what you are."

"Oh really?" The first intruder lifted a hand to his chin and stroked it with his thumb. "Well if that's the case…then you'll know that we can't let you live."

"Bring it on, lycan."

* * *

Her fingers stroked the pendant that hung as a centrepiece from the necklace around her next. Besides this, Hinata attempted to remain still in the Louis XV carved armchair, while a young woman, perhaps a mere couple of years older than herself proceeded to run a comb through her long blue tresses; all of this had been ordered by her father. Smooth as ebon silk, the brush glided through the strands with significant ease, but the young vampiress seemed very much indifferent to the woman who she believed was unnecessarily going through so much trouble to make her look suitable for the evening's events. Hinata had not seen herself in one hundred and seventeen years, but knew enough to know that – bar her growth from her childhood into the present day specimen – she had probably not changed all that much. And still she sat in silence, without protest, her crystal blue eyes plagued with sadness. She soon cupped her hands together in her lap and attempted not to twitch – it was not very becoming of a Hyuuga – as her thoughts wandered.

Her father – Hyuuga Hiashi, leader of the Hyuuga coven – already thought very poorly of his oldest daughter. For over one hundred years, he had considered her a disappointment to the vampire species, to the coven and to the Hyuuga family name. Always soft of mouth, compassionate and humble, she had never obtained the striking resilience and superiority that was so fervent in not only her father, but in her cousin Neji and younger sister Hanabi. She had been grateful that upon the time of her birth, a law had been passed to protect the vampire and prohibit those of the coven from obtaining blood from a living human being; she knew that she would never have had the guts to venture out into the wild and kill another, no matter how desperate the hunger might have been. But it was because of these traits – these human-like traits – that her father seemingly despised her. When she spoke, she stuttered. When she observed, she could not maintain eye contact. And when she was nervous, she would fidget. All were signs of weakness to the noble Hyuuga.

The coven had been established some four hundred years prior, and along the line, twins had been born. As the older twin, her father had been marked the heir of the coven, but it had been also on this day the family had been divided into the Main Family and the Branch Family. The Branch were still considered Hyuuga, although to a lesser extent and while some – like her cousin – had remained inside the manor, others had scattered across the country. Most of those outside maintained businesses, some worked as spies, but all still served the Hyuuga Main Family. In all that time, however, the Hyuuga had come across many obstacles. Hinata herself had heard of the wars that her family had faced, but had never been faced with any of them. She was well aware that there had been a time when opposing covens – the Sound Four, the Akatsuki, and perhaps their most formidable opponent to date – Uchiha Madara – had attempted to establish dominance. She was well aware of a time when even the humans had gotten wind of their presence. And then there had been the lycanthrope; described as revolting slaves of their vampire masters. But all of that had occurred decades ago and such had been put to rest. The vampire had moved on and had soon been regarded as extinct, mere figments of the human imagination. And any nemeses that they had crossed paths with had been laid to rest.

These were, what her father had described as, times of peace; such had been the case for nearly fifty years, the vampire living in secret from the human world. Hinata was still well aware that her father conducted matters of business, but she was rarely ever - if at all - apart of such affairs. The chief Hyuuga preferred the company of his youngest daughter and her cousin as opposed to Hinata, who would merely surface during social events as some sort of jewel – pleasant to look at and yet not much else. Tonight however, was slightly different. Because though she would masquerade as that pearly trinket once again, the evening was being held in her favour. For though tonight was designated as yet another social event, it was also something of a business merger – the joining of two covens to be exact. Because Hinata was due to meet her betrothed that night. And the only thing Hinata knew of her fiancé was his name. Sasuke.

Many rumours had surfaced about him, but nothing too concrete. Her father had specified that she should feel honoured at such an arrangement. Hanabi, who had crossed paths with him in the past, had indicated that he looked strong. Most of the women of the household had stated that he was a handsome fellow, but the more she heard the hearsay, the more the reluctance grew in the pit of her stomach. Hinata did not want to marry this Sasuke character. She did not regard it as an honour, but knew that it was merely her father's way of disposing of her while still holding onto her ties as a Hyuuga. Her ties would make their coven stronger without her actual input.

Her bedroom door had been left ajar and the latter was met with a light rapping followed by a third presence. "Hinata," came the female voice. "You ready?"

As the brushing of her hair ceased, Hinata tilted her head behind her and took note of her coven brethren and long-term friend, Tenten, standing in the doorway. The brunette had her hair fashioned in two, her braids wrapped into two neat little buns. For the evening, she had adorned a slender black cheongsam with golden embroidery hand-sewn in the style of a dragon.

"She is now." The woman who had been combing her hair motioned next to the Hyuuga heiress and placed the brush on a nearby table. Her eyes were the same crystal blue as her own and she smiled at Hinata who offered her a weaker variant of the latter in return. "Gosh, you must be so excited." The woman progressed.

Hinata nodded half-heartedly. "Y…yes," She lied.

"I've heard a great deal about this Sasuke," The Hyuuga female stated. "You're a very lucky girl." With that, she lowered her head in a partially respectful manner, before departing from the room. Hinata rose from her chair.

"Okay, spill it!" Tenten demanded. She fashioned a hand on her hip, her stance a little less than feminine. One of her slender legs appeared through the high slit in the dress.

Hinata's eyes widened. "H…huh?"

"I've known you for too long now, Hinata," Tenten approached her, a knowing look in her eye. "You're hiding something."

"W…well I…"

"It's this Sasuke thing, isn't it?"

"Err…"

"I can tell you don't want to go through with it."

_Was she that obvious?_

"So why don't you tell Hiashi-sama already?"

Hinata lowered her head somewhat. She opened her mouth and for a moment no words surfaced. "I can't,"

"Why not?"

"The Oto Coven has arrived," Another voice surfaced from the hallway. When both girls glanced in the designated direction, Hanabi's pale blues peered back at them. Like all of them, she was clothed formally, opting for a long black gothic frock with a high-rise neckline. It was well known that the youngest Hyuuga – albeit well over a century old – resembled her father avidly. And with nothing else needed to be said, she broke away from the doorway and proceeded along the hallway. Tenten followed suit and beckoned Hinata to follow as the Hyuuga betrothed progressed into the darkened hallway and along the lengthy velvet rug.

The Hyuuga household was luxurious. It was a large manor stationed on two upper floors with an outstanding lower level hidden from the outside world. The hallways were immaculately dressed; pictures of passed nobleman and Hyuuga hung along the walls and various structures and statues were positioned along the corridor. Accustomed to the latter, Hinata attempted not to drag her feet along the hallway as they approached the grand staircase. Such was narrower at the top and broadened outward upon connection to the ground floor and a lavish red carpet had been fitted into the exterior. Beyond them, resided the main entrance.

Situated at the bottom of the stairs were her father, Neji, and various other members of the Hyuuga coven. As Hinata reached the bottom of the stairs, a few of the family members turned to acknowledge her. One commended her on her dress – a fine piece made of navy-blue satin. Even Neji sported her a salutation in the form of a curt nod. The only person who did not turn to receive her was her father and Hinata shied away, shoulders hunched as she moved to position herself next to him. She tilted her head towards him and opened her mouth to speak, but found herself interrupted as the doorbell tolled. Two Hyuuga members stationed themselves either side of the main entrance and proceeded to pry the large mahogany doors open.

Hinata peered beyond the opening onto the darkened grounds of their household and took note of several figures standing across from the doorway. As they approached, their features became more discernible, but it was her father's voice that broke the brief silence as they entered into the abode.

"Orochimaru," Hiashi began. His features barely softened the greeting. "It's good to see you again."

The addressee was a tall, thin character with something of a menacing air about him. His face was gaunt and unusually pale, even for a vampire, and Hinata took note that the skin around his eyes was laden with purple kabuki. Like her father, he had adorned a long Celtic cloak for the evening; his was a deep indigo in contrast to her father's royal blue. He received Hiashi with a similar greeting, both taking their hand in the others.

"Always a pleasure, Hiashi," The vampire returned. His voice was a husky drone, almost as if it contained a permanent hiss. Their hands separated.

"I believe you've already met my nephew, Neji, and my youngest daughter, Hanabi." The Hyuuga leader gestured to the two aforementioned and both nodded their heads respectfully in a small mock bow. Orochimaru received them with something of a broad smile as her father continued. "Please, allow me to introduce my oldest daughter; Hinata."

The vampiress gulped. Even though she knew it was inevitable, she hadn't expected to be introduced so soon. She suddenly felt everyone's eyes sail in her direction and the metaphorical spotlight that shone down on her began to make her feel just that little bit nauseous. Needless to say, after a moment's hesitation, she stepped forward, hands clasped together and found her tongue. "Or…ochimaru-sama," She began respectfully. "It is an honour." Unlike her cousin and sister, she lowered herself forwards a little lower so that the tresses of her midnight hair sailed from behind her shoulders and forwards, obscuring her face slightly. She heard Orochimaru chuckle. The sound sent an unusual chill along her spine.

"She is just as you described her," She heard him say as she lifted herself to a poised stand and stationed herself backward adjacent to her father again. Her eyes were cast downwards as always.

"Quite," She heard her father respond. The monosyllabic statement both peaked and diminished her curiosity.

"Well, then it is without further ado that I introduce you to my protégé," The guest coven leader spoke. He held out an arm in gesture. "Sasuke?"

When Hinata looked up next, she came face to face with the man that her father had chosen for her. Sasuke was indeed as the women of their coven had described him. He was tall and strapping with something of a poised and confident demeanour about him. He indeed looked strong and yes, he was most certainly handsome. But his facial expression disclosed nothing about him. His eyes gave nothing away and Hinata found herself unable to meet his gaze after a mere few seconds as his dark orbs were callous and aloof.

Sasuke side glanced Orochimaru momentarily. The spotlight was now shone on him, but contrasting to Hinata, he did not shy away from it. His lips tightened. Did she sense reluctance? Or maybe something else? He muttered a single word.

"Pleasure."

Hinata's heart danced into her throat as she awaited her father's reaction. From Sasuke's tone, it appeared as if he desired nothing more than to be absent as well. He had, however, been rather rude about it. It was Orochimaru who intervened however, his quiet chuckle surfacing once again.

"You'll have to forgive Sasuke," he began. "He's not the social type."

Hinata glanced at her father. The coven leader appeared indifferent. "Very well," He finally spoke, before gesturing towards the innards of the household. "Shall we?"

* * *

The night progressed as planned. Live music filtered across the formidable drawing room and all its members were partaking in some form of social ardour. Hyuuga Branch members sauntered about the room carrying trays empty or full of chalices to and from the kitchen, containing liquid thick residue. A few of the Oto coven members were engaging in conversation with his other members. Hiashi recognised one of Orochimaru's wards – Hozuki Suigetsu – speaking with one of the lesser Hyuuga women. Neji had returned with a chalice for Tenten, and Yakushi Kabuto – Orochimaru's second protégé – was in deep conversation with his soon-to-be-son-in-law, Sasuke, albeit Sasuke – as Orochimaru had described him – barely spared the other many words. And then, of course, there had been his daughter – Hinata, who had been very much a wallflower for the duration of the evening, had barely spoken to any of the Oto members. He felt the corners of his temple swell with disappointment. Hinata _was_ a disappointment and he was subtly glad to be getting rid of her.

Currently, he was still engaged in a business discussion with Orochimaru. The dark-haired vampire incidentally excused himself, and at the same time, Hiashi noticed Hinata motion from her station at the far side of the room and across the floor in his direction. He glanced behind him and took note that an exit was located just there; he immediately put the two together. And just as his daughter meandered towards her temporary location, he spoke her name and she halted in her stead like a rabbit in headlights. He did not grace her with his vision.

"It has been nearly an hour and you have yet to even attempt to speak with your fiancé," he stated.

He sensed her flinch.

"You are an embarrassment," he continued.

Her shoulders slumped.

"Amend you behaviour."

"Hiashi-sama," A smooth male voice signalled the presence of another. Hiashi beckoned his daughter to leave him and she did so without a second thought, disappearing through the entrance like the coward she was.

"What is it?" Hiashi spared his attention on the Branch family member, who held an empty tray beneath his arm. In the other, he held out an envelope.

"This arrived," The lesser Hyuuga stated, to which Hiashi received the note and the Branch family member made himself scarce.

He had not been expecting anything like this, but dug a nail into the lope crevices and tore it open rather quickly and gracefully. Inside was a single folded piece of paper and Hiashi moved to retrieve it. He unfolded it and glanced at the writing that was scrawled across it – a single sentence. For the first time in over fifty years, his face contorted in horror.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello again. It was brought to my attention by a reviewer that I messed up the times in my last chapter. I specified that the Hyuuga had been subjected to wars / battles over fifty years ago and that Hinata had no part in any of it even though I also, indicated that she was 117 years old. I indicated that she had not "known" war. I suppose I should have been clearer in saying that even though she was alive during those times, her father pretty much kept her sheltered from the battlefield - as should surface in this chapter. Either way, as I was not clear enough, I plan to go back and amend it in the future at some point. I apologise for the delay (even though, two weeks is not too bad). I was waiting for my beta to finish correcting this chapter. I'd like to take the opportunity to thank **d e l i n q u e n c y** for all her hard work. She's like my human grammar / punctuation nazi. I'd also, like to thanks those that took the time to review my work, especially **Miss Hydrangea** who pointed out the issue I previously addressed. Reviews are always welcome. I'm always trying to improve my writing. I digress however, so without further ado, I present to you the next installment of _Blood Diamonds._

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* * *

_

**Chapter One**

_The lycan have returned._

The words fell across his mind continuously that evening as he fought to contain the knowledge for the sake of face. But even as the evening gradually departed into the early hours of the morning and the Oto Coven departed on pleasant terms, it only served to make the Hyuuga leader uneasier, even though he did not demonstrate the latter to any of the members of the household. He maintained something of an indifferent composure, but the news was unnerving. So it wasn't until the lower family members proceeded to straighten up the household, that Hiashi summoned Neji, Hanabi and Tenten to the basement.

"Are you certain, father?" Hanabi queried as they proceeded towards the lower level. Neji had acquired the note.

"It has the Hyuuga sigma printed in the corner," Neji responded. "It's legitimate."

"Weren't they eliminated some fifty years ago?"

"It was believed," Hiashi responded as they reached the bottom of the stairs and proceeded into a broad silver corridor. Unlike the ones on the upper levels, these ones were plain, save for the lowly lit torches that were etched into the walls. "It seems that we did not account for all of them."

"What does this mean then?" Tenten queried, her heels clicking behind them in attempts to keep up. The brunette was not Hyuuga, but she was considerably loyal to the coven and to Neji. It was also, because of her ties into the north that he allowed her to stay amongst them.

Hiashi breathed. "It means," He stopped before a large grand opening, whereby the double doors had various abstract designs moulded into it. Removing a pendant from around his neck, he took the centrepiece and pressed it up against the only noticeable hole in the artefact; it mirrored the pendant outline itself. Immediately, the doors fell open gradually, granting them access into a large room. "That they have come for the Byakugan,"

This room mirrored the same dispositions of the corridor, however, there was something more ancient about it. In the middle of the floor, the Hyuuga emblem was crafted into the centre covering most of the latter. A large coffin was stationed at the far centre of the room and towards either side were two doors leading towards two additional sectors of the basement; one mahogany, one silver.

"The Byakugan?" He heard Tenten query.

"It's a family heirloom, but in the wrong hands, it could cause devastation," Hiashi explained as he broke towards the right of the room and unlocked the silver door. "When the lycan were great, they attempted to retrieve it before," He continued. "For now however, it is safe. They will not come here." He entered the abode firsthand and awaited the others to file in. This room was quite industrialised in its design, a direct contrast to the rest of the house. It had once been used as the Hyuuga medical bay, but had not really been needed to decades. As such, it had become somewhat forgotten and various cobwebs scaled the terrace. A plain white stretcher was positioned up against the wall nearby "That isn't to say however, that we mustn't prepare for them." On the far side of the room was a large cabinet that covered the entire southern region of the room. Hiashi approached the latter and ran a pale finger over each draw in order to wipe away the excess dust and determine the text beneath it.

"What do you propose we do?" Hanabi questioned once again. She was unnaturally calm.

"It seems that it has come to this," Hiashi stopped before one of the cabinets and wrenched it open. He retrieved a suitcase. It was made of black leather and unlike the room, it had virtually gone untouched. He positioned it on top of the stretcher and opened it up, turning it to face the others. "Silver bullets," He began and as implied, the abovementioned were lying inside the case in neat little rows. "It is their weakness. We already have weapons that utilise these here, but those of us outside do not. Neji," He turned to address his nephew. "I want you to form a unit and begin dispatching them come dusk tomorrow evening. It is imperative that all vampire are alerted."

"Understood, Hiashi-sama,"

"If there are no further questions, you are dismissed," Hiashi stated. All three members lowered their head respectively and proceeded to file out of the room. It was just what he needed. He was mere moments from sealing an alliance with the Oto Coven, who resided in the west, only to discover that the peace they had upheld for so many decades was about to be threatened. He had also, been mere moments away from disposing of his poor excuse for a Hyuuga daughter. A thought suddenly occurred.

"Neji." He called to his nephew just as he disappeared from the room. Needless to say, his sharp senses soon summoned him back into the abode.

"Take Hinata with you,"

The expression the younger vampire adorned was taken aback. "Are you sure, Hiashi-sama? Hinata is…"

"I'm certain," He confirmed. "Everyone is well aware that Hinata is much too soft. I believe a glimpse of the reality might eliminate that weakness."

* * *

"You're late," The pink-haired female situated a hand on her hip as the two characters entered the den well into the early evening the next day, an hour after they were initially supposed to arrive.

"Don't blame me," One of them spoke. He pointed his thumb at his associate. "Naruto insisted we stop off."

The named individual cocked an eyebrow. "Hey, you ate as much as I did, Kiba"

His retort was met with a yawn from his associate and an eye roll from the only female in the room. "Men," She breathed, before pressing her back up against one of the many craters of the abode. "So did you find out anything?"

"Nada," Kiba spoke. He propped himself up on one of the crates and hunched his back, arms draped casually over his legs. The structure within which they were located was an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. It had been scheduled to be knocked down several years ago, but whoever, had never gotten around to it and so they – the lycanthrope – had decided to make it one of their places of residence. As the warehouse was easily broken into, they had established house beneath the surface, but primary used it as a meeting base more then anything else. "They're resistant. I'll give you that." Kiba continued.

"Were you detected?" The woman pressed.

"Of course,"

"Nothing that we couldn't handle though," Naruto prodded his chest triumphantly with his thumb. "Those vampires aren't so tough." His face was laden with a great sense of pride. Unfortunately, the pink-haired female did not share the same gratification.

"You were supposed to keep a low profile," She snapped. For many decades now, they had managed to keep their progress a secret from their nemeses, the vampire. As far as they had been concerned, the lycan, as a race had been eliminated many years ago. But such was not entirely true and in all the time that had passed, the lycan had been quietly plotting, rebuilding their army and preparing for the second uprising.

Kiba draped his torso across the crater, positioning his arms behind his head. "And we did," He continued. "Any vampire who figured us out was taken care of."

"So you basically left a trail for them to follow," The female lycan continued. "Dead vampires will only mean cause for concern."

"Even if we had continued to keep our existence a secret, it was inevitable that we would no longer be able to do so as soon as we'd surfaced," A fourth figure materialised in the doorway .

"Oh great; it's Sai," The blond huffed. He folded his arms indignantly.

"Hello Naruto, Kiba, Sakura," The stranger beamed back at them with that custom-made smile of his. "It's been a while, hasn't it? How are you keeping?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," Kiba intervened. "Slaying vampires, making progress."

"Did you find anything?" questioned Sakura.

"It is as I implied," Sai continued. The smile did not erase from his face. "It seems that the vampires are aware of our presence. They are on the move."

"Great," Sakura huffed. "And the Byakugan?"

Before Sai could respond, Naruto interrupted. "What's so great about this Byakugan anyway?" He pressed his back up against the wall and crossed his legs over one another, the long brown trench coat obscuring them from view.

"For once, I agree with knucklehead," Kiba's remark was met with a mild resistance from the blond. "We've nearly got a full scale army, why don't we just go down there and…"

"We'll die," Sai interjected. Though the statement was blunt, it was implied in an almost rosy fashion.

"According to Shikamaru, it has the power to end the vampire-lycan battle once and for all,"

"Where's Shikamaru anyway; and Chouji" Kiba piped up again. "Didn't Shikamaru call this meeting?"

A ringing noise was discernable by all and Sakura fumbled with something inside the back pocket of her denim skirt. She retrieved a cellphone and flipped the head upwards, positioning the receiver up against her ear. She listened before she spoke. "Shikamaru?"

Kiba inclined his head somewhat. Naruto acknowledged the circumstance with a head tilt. Sai remained indifferent.

"Yes, everyone's here," She continued. "…Nothing really, everyone's keeping tight-lipped…" She was interrupted. "Really?" Her face contorted. "…Okay, I'll let them know." The call ended and Sakura flipped the head downwards and replaced the phone back into her pocket.

"What's the situation?" Kiba lifted himself upright, using his hands to support his weight.

"Sai was right; the vampires _are_ on the move," She explained. "We have to move out immediately."

* * *

Hinata was nervous. Why? Why was it that all of a sudden her father had requested she join Neji and Hanabi in one of their business ventures? News had spread around the household like wildfire. The lycans had returned. And Hinata had never been faced with one before, but she had heard the stories. After all, it had been her uncle, Hizashi, who had fallen at the hands of one. And worse, her own mother had also, succumbed to the violent creatures. Now, it seemed as if it was down to them to send the vampire world the message and prepare them for the worst. Hinata secretly hoped however, that the worst would not surface, but deep down, she understood that her hopes were childish; it was virtually inevitable.

Hanabi had insisted that she dress comfortably. In turn, Hinata had fashioned her hair into a ponytail and so for lack of anything more suitable to wear, Tenten had allowed her to borrow some of her belongings. The brunette however, possessed a thing for leather and the latter was slightly unusual against her skin.

Once dressed, she had joined the others in the main entrance hall, desiring not to be late, lest her father make an example of her. Bar Neji, Hanabi, Tenten and she, a few other Hyuuga relatives and loyal specimens were present, her father at the head of the room. Several black suitcases had been situated in a row across the floor. Tenten had already filled her in on their contents. Tiny gadgets, not nearly strong enough to take down a vampire and yet powerful enough to weaken a lycan and lead him to his demise. It sent another awkward chill along her spine. To be faced with death – even the death of somebody else – was unsettling.

"Negotiations have already been made," Hiashi spoke, his tone commanding. "You are to meet them at the Old Mill. Divide the cases between you and stop for no one." A chorus of "yes" and "understood" emerged from the masses. "Also," Her father continued. "Be sure to arm yourselves."

As each individual member of the gathering proceeded forwards in a queue to acquire a suitcase, Hinata fought the urge not to bite her lip. She had never laid her hands upon a weapon before; had never needed to. Werewolves. War. Weapons. It was all slightly apprehensive. Her hands fought to be together until she felt a hand settle on her shoulder. When she looked, Tenten had stationed herself next to her. There was something of an apologetic look on her face. In her hand, was a chrome revolver.

"I want you to take this," Her friend began. Hinata peered down at it in awe as Tenten took her juddering hand and snuck the device into her palm. "If anything happens…" She swallowed. "Use it."

The weapon was heavy in her hand, but she grasped it tight for fear that she might actually drop it and incidentally set it off. Again, her childlike hope wished that it would not come to that. Perhaps they would be fortunate enough to carry out the transaction and return unscathed. Needless to say, it appeared that the other vampire did not share her optimism. Most were cocking weapons of them own and tucking them into the insides of their jackets. Hinata copied the measure. Tenten, in the meantime, offered her a comforting smile before she grasped a hold of one of the suitcases and proceeded to file out of the room. Noticing that the masses were heading towards the main entrance, she decided to follow suit. In turn, she stepped forward and grasped a hold of the one remaining suitcase, immediately sensing her father's eyes scrutinising her intently. Her own gaze briefly met his – once again, his crystal hues were emotionless – to which she quickly averted her own gaze, finding her feet and disappearing through the front doors.

The cool air did nothing to reassure her, but all of this was short-lived as they crossed the Hyuuga grounds and approached the steel gates that had been opened electronically to grant them all exit. Three vehicles were stationed on the opposite side; their headlight dimmed significantly and one by one, the Hyuuga coven members proceeded to disappear inside them. Hinata entered into the backseat of a vehicle alongside Tenten and her sister and within moments, they had pulled away from the household.

The journey seemed to take forever and it didn't help that the cool metal bulge in the inside of her coat pocket continued to prod her chest like an ominous reminder. The car was silent. No one sparing each other conversation. Not even Tenten spoke a word, which further indicated the seriousness of the situation. To distract herself, Hinata glanced out of the tinted windows and into the streets that sailed by. The inner cities were animated, plagued with life, people heading to and from different locations, most likely preparing for the week ahead. Within moments, the cars seemed to leave the human world behind however, as the streets they steered across became less and less occupied and soon enough, the location – the Old Mill – swung into view.

The building was old and rickety; the windmill itself hadn't been mobile in what looked like eons. Beyond it, rested a quiet lake. Hinata's car stopped a mere few metres outside of it and the vampires stepped out into the open, individual suitcases to hand. A cool breeze swept across the air and Hinata stared about the vicinity. It was pretty desolate, save for a few stray buildings dotted here to there. The ambience was void of much plant-life and the locale was relatively quiet. She exhaled. Car doors slammed and the Hyuuga awaited instructions. Neji – heading the operation – soon gestured for them to follow and they once again proceeded towards the Old Mill.

The latter possessed no door – moreover a gaping hole in its place – and they were reliant on the natural lighting of the crescent moon and the surrounding area. Neji entered the abode first, followed by the others. Hinata, found herself in the midst of it all, her eyes displaying a slight concern. The abode was just as ancient as the outside appeared. Overgrowth had grown through the cracks in the ground, fractures decorated the discolouring of the stone walls. There was another gaping hole in the ceiling above, but most of the ambience was shielded in darkness. Neji stopped in the centre of the abode and the rest of the Hyuuga coven followed suit, as five figured seemingly emerged out of the darkness.

"It's just like the Hyuuga to be punctual," One spoke. When the natural lighting of the moon graced his skin, Hinata determined that the stranger was vampire. With the way he held himself in comparison to those that surrounded him, it was obvious that he maintained authority. "How are you all? I take it you had a safe journey." Neji received the stranger as her father had received Orochimaru – with a curt handshake.

"Of course,"

"It seems your uncle has the entire vampire community tolling alarm bells," The adjacent vampire withdrew his hand. "Can you be certain?"

"It had already been confirmed,"

"Aww, the lycan menace," The vampire ridiculed. "They were always…persistent."

Suitcase to hand, Neji held the suitcase horizontally in one palm and opened it up. The ally vampire's eye glinted as he surveyed the bullets situated inside the plus grey surfaced. He ran his fingers over them and retrieved one, peering at it in some form of awe. "Hopefully, we won't have as much trouble with them this time around." He replaced the bullet and Neji sealed the suitcase shut. Another cool breeze swept through the abode. The windmill creaked from the outside.

"You were not followed?" Neji questioned tentatively, as he held out the suitcase. The other received it.

"Of course not," Came the reply. The windmill creaked again and a few members of either coven proceeded to deviate their attention. Even Neji's gaze faltered. There had been no breeze to accompany the noise this time. "The question is however,". Another creaking noise. Hinata saw Tenten's hand hovering over her holster. "Were you?"

They fell from the air like meteors and at first all Hinata could see were shadows, figures, creatures falling atop her vampire brethren and crushing them beneath the force. The suitcase slid from her fingertips. One vampire suffered a collision heavily a mere few inches from her, he and the intruder rolling around on the floor in a huddle. Screams surfaced; roars bellowed; blood splattered and Hinata saw Neji leap out of harms way as a monster landed directly in place of where he had once been. Skilfully, her cousin retrieved his gun and fired it at the creature. An agonising bellow sounded as he doubled over and fell forwards cupping his stomach. To her left, Tenten was also, engaging in battle. One of the creatures had targeted her and while Tenten leapt up into the higher confines of the structure, her nemesis scouted the walls, clawing along the surface towards her. She fired a few rounds.

The sounds of shots coupled with cries of death caused Hinata to freeze in place. The voice in her mind was telling her to move, to flee, to do something, but it wasn't until a mighty force pushed her out of the way did the reality of it all sink in. Hanabi tumbled to the side after pushing her sister out of harms way. Her cloak flew overhead and she fired her gun at the seven-foot creature, who shied away like a bear from fire. No words could be exchanged as another creature tackled the youngest Hyuuga to the left and Hinata could only watch it awe as her sister fought with the beast, his snout mere inches from her face. A roar bellowed from behind her and Hinata's eyes widened as she felt the hot breath along the back of her neck. Another shot was fired however and she heard a small yelping as the creature disappeared from behind her.

"Hinata!" Her name was screamed. Hanabi was still struggling with the beast, but she propped her legs beneath it and struck outwards, sending the beast faltering backwards slightly. "Just get out of here!"

Her mouth opened, but much too shocked for words, she nodded stupidly, before locating the only exit. One of the creatures leapt from the shadows once again and sunk its teeth into the neck of a vampire, while one of the outstanding vampire specimens shot another beast in the head. In the meantime, Hinata breezed for the opening and took in a mouth of air to compensate for the heightened sense of blood she had left behind. In her stead however, she soon began to feel guilty and she stopped herself, panting heavily. How could she leave? Her sister, her cousin, her friend, her family. All of them were in there and some would never see twilight again. She was terrified. She had to admit. She had never seen such a massacre before. But she couldn't leave them. For then her father would be right about her. She would forever remain a disappointment; a disgrace, and she knew that she'd never forgive herself if she didn't at least try.

Turning on the heel of her boots, she found the gun that Tenten had given to her and peered at it. Her eyes furrowed somewhat and she gulped, before breaking away back in the direction of the screams. She was soon halted by an unfamiliar presence. A being of some sort leapt in her wake and landed rather chaotically in front of her. Now out in the open, she was able to determine the creature better and took note that he was half transformed. His eyes were a brutal yellow colour, canines sharp. His skin was a lightly tanned complexion with messy brown hair. The upper portion of his body was bare, the likelihood being that he had ripped his clothes during a transformation. His fingernails were pointed, all of which were stained with blood. And yet he stared at her with a hunger and it immediately caused her to take a step back.

"And here I thought you were leaving the party?" He sneered at her. His voice possessed a dangerous undertone.

The gun cupped in her hand, she held it forwards, clasping it with both hands. Unfortunately, it trembled in her grasp. The lycan sniggered as the yellow receded from his eyes.

"You're not like the others," He took a step close to her. "Your fear. I can smell it."

"Stay back!" She yelped, her voice had risen an octave. "Stay back…or I'll shoot."

The lycan seemed disbelieving. "So shoot already," He took another step forward. Hinata unconsciously took one back.

"I'm warning you!"

"Heh…I don't think you have the guts,"

Her breaths came about in short, sharp bursts. She didn't want to believe it; not now of all moments, but she couldn't help but know that he was right. For over a century, she had always been that pleasant natured girl, that humble woman. Any traits associated with a vampire, with a Hyuuga had skipped her entirely. And now, to be met with something so frightening, something so very real as staring death in the face.

"W…what is it you want exactly? Why are you d…doing this?" Her voice was drenched in panic.

The lycan seemed to take amusement in her statement. She saw his lips curl and an ominous chuckle pursed through them. "Why am _I_ doing this?" His laughter ceased and the very same yellow from before enveloped his eyes. "Don't patronise me, vampire!" He suddenly barked. "Your kind started this war." Her blues widened and once again her heart settled in her throat. "Your kind brought this upon yourselves. And it will give me great pleasure to kill you all."

She saw him lean forward and in doing so, his body proceeded to alter. His face distorted, his muscles grew and his skin receded to bring about a hairy overtone that very much matched the same colour as his hair. A growl escaped from his partially developed snout as his body loomed above her and the gun trembled significantly in her grasp as she held it out at him. Without hesitation, he leapt forward and Hinata felt herself tumbling backwards in fear, her own scream resonating in her ears. But before the impact could be made however, a large figure seemingly sailed onto the scene from the right, halting the lycan from his pursuit. Both went flying in the opposite direction, Hinata landing on her rear, the gun toppling out of her reach. She saw the scuffle of lycan and intruder and soon caught a glimpse of her cousin's long brown hair. In turn, the creature cupped his hind legs beneath him and sent Neji hurtling upwards, but her cousin was swift and he used the latter to his advantage, cupping his weapon and firing a few rounds at the creature. The lycan spared no time, as he pawed himself out of harms way and Neji landed rather expertly a couple of metres away, his fingers clawing the earth to stop himself from sailing any further away.

In the distance, she heard her name. She turned and saw both Tenten and Hanabi and a few of the other Hyuuga coven members spiralling towards them.

"We have to leave! Now!" Neji commanded, as he united with the others and sprinted in the direction of their vehicles.

Hinata scrambled to a stand as Tenten reached her position, tugging her up hurriedly. Her steps were lopsidedly, but eventually, both girls followed the brunette towards the cars. Behind them however, a few stray lycan who were still alive and well into their transformed states, were galloping after them in a desperate fury. Hinata felt her heart beat furiously; breaths short, quick and anxious. She glanced behind her and soon wished she hadn't as one of the creatures leapt towards them, its roar petrifying. It was Hanabi however, who turned around and with pinpoint accuracy, planted a bullet it its forehead. The beast landed erratically at her feet. At the same time however, another leapt into the fray and she pulled the trigger and brought another to its knees. She did not however, account for the next two that were approaching her and while she significantly managed to counter one, the other tackled her rather painfully to the ground.

"Hanabi!" Her older sister screamed. Her cry must have alerted Neji, who in turn, swivelled around just in time to see his younger cousin drop to the floor beneath a looming lycan. The gun left her hand. He sought to go back for her, but within moments, several more lycan had appeared before the female Hyuuga's body, like a rising army and soon he could no longer see her.

"We have to go!" Somebody barked at him. "Come on!"

Neji's face was livid with subtle fury. Hinata was positively mortified, but within moments they had reached the car and Tenten was ushering her inside. The doors were slammed shut as they sped away from the scene and the last thing Hinata recalled seeing was the post-transformed eyes of the creature who had tried to dispose of her.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I apologise for the long delay. I've just entered into revision season so I've been busy looking over notes and what not. Either way, thanks for the review/s and I hope you enjoy the chapter.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

"Cowards!" Kiba yelled. He scooped up a handful of dirt and cast it in the direction of the vehicles as they sped away from the scene and into darkness. The yellow of his eyes had long-since receded, and his body was gradually returning to its initial form. His height had diminished, his muscles had contracted, and his heartbeat was settling to a gradual pulse. The cool air nipped at his skin; he had disposed of his trench coat some time ago and the shirt he had adorned was ruined, rips coursing through the material upon entering his transformed state. He huffed. He had almost had her too.

"There will be other confrontations," Sai intervened. His short dark hair was slightly tousled now and one of his arms was stained with blood. Regardless, he seemed unnaturally calm; content, even.

"At least we were able to stop the transaction." Sakura had acquired one of the suitcases. She had opened it and proceeded to spill the contents into the water, watching the bullets disappear into the murky abyss. A few other surviving lycans were following suit.

"We may have been successful today - but that isn't to say that they won't make more." Kiba turned his attentions to the individual in question. Shikamaru was stationed a little way away from the rest of the group, his hands pressed into his back as he cracked his joints. Like Kiba, most of his clothing had tears in them. His hair, which he usually fashioned high on his head, had fallen loose during battle. He folded his arms; a distant look crept across his face.

"So we'll just keep stopping them, right?" The blond lycan interjected. He rubbed the side of his neck. It seemed the previous battle had ignited some fire within him.

Shikamaru shook his head. "They were armed," he began. "Which means they were prepared. That means they'll be even more prepared next time." he paused. "This was risky," he breathed. "And I'd rather we not lose anyone else."

"So we're just gonna let them make more bullets?" Kiba retorted.

He saw Shikamaru shake his head. The lycan closed his eyes for a moment and a small breeze caressed his free-fallen tresses. His eyes opened. "It's troublesome, but I guess we'll just have to locate the source," he began. He turned his head. "Sakura, Sai. Do you reckon you could get on that?"

Both addressees nodded.

"What about this one?" On the ground, amongst the masses, a voice carried to all ears. Kiba glanced in the direction and took note that Chouji had propped one of his knees on the floor. He gestured to the form beneath him and noticed that the vampire girl they had rendered immobile earlier was sprawled out on the ground, face down. "She's still alive." Though she wasn't moving, Kiba could sense the shallow breathing.

"I say we finish her off," he suggested. He bounded towards the limp vampire and snarled at her. His thoughts briefly went back to the vampiress he had confronted earlier. Unlike this one, she had been drenched in fear; so much so that it had almost been overbearing.

"_W…what is it you want exactly? Why are you d…doing this?"_

He felt his throat tighten. Had she really asked that? Of course she knew why they were doing this. It was impossible to think that she could actually be so naïve. No. These vampires were dangerous and had been so for many years. It was time that the lycan once again took a stand.

"Go…ahead…" The statement was muffled, but caused the surrounding lycan to peer down at the body of the vampire. Her fingers twitched somewhat. "I'd rather…die…" He heard a cough. "…The Hyuuga…will triumph…"

Kiba, averse to hearing anymore of her babbling, trampled forwards and scooped the vampire up by her hair. The girl squinted in pain; her own blood had long since ceased spilling from a wound on her forehead. "I'll make it quick, shall I?" He rose his free hand and reached to cup her neck.

"Wait!" Shikamaru's voice tore through the confrontation and his footsteps could be heard trudging towards them. He stopped before the vampire, something having grasped his interest. The blue eyes of the vampire peered up at him in disgust as he reached out a hand and brought out a piece of metal that up until now had been tucked beneath the clothing of the vampire. In his hand, he pawed at a pendant, the chain still firmly fixed around her neck. "This is the Hyuuga insignia." he explained. "Only members of the Main Family are given these."

"Main Family?" Naruto enquired.

"Yeah: the Hyuuga are probably the oldest surviving vampire family to date," he continued. "And they're divided into two halves, the Main and the Branch families." He allowed the pendant to sail back against her chest and rose to his feet. "If my knowledge is correct, the Main oversee the Branch family; like their superiors."

"Just when you thought they couldn't get enough," Kiba scoffed. "They're playing palace with their own family." His fingers tightened in between the tresses of the brown locks and the vampire gritted her fangs together in order to restrict a whimper.

"Either way, it means she's pretty important," continued Shikamaru.

"If she's so important, why would the Hyuuga send her for…?"

"We're not afraid…of you…" Sakura was interrupted by the husky voice of the vampiress. She spat violently at the feet of Shikamaru, but it missed and settled on the ground a mere few inches from his boot. "…You lycan…will meet your…end."

By now, Kiba had just about reached the pinnacle of his patience and consecutively dropped the vampire's face back into the dirt. Her head landed against the ground with a loud thud, immediately silencing her, but not so much that it would kill her. At the same time, his ears picked up the faint noise of sirens bellowing in the distance. Within moments, it seemed that the distance between the noise and the lycans themselves had diminished.

"We're no longer alone," Sai indicated.

"Let's go!"

"And the vampire?"

A pause.

"Bring her!"

It was Chouji who scooped the vampire up onto his shoulder as the lycans fled the scene. Their animalistic qualities meant that they made short work of the sprint, propelling themselves over great distances so that by the time the advocates of the sirens had arrived, they were long gone, the Old Mill now standing at a distance. Sakura settled at an easy pace alongside Shikamaru as they darted into a nearby street.

"What are you thinking, Shikamaru?" she asked him.

He exhaled. "I'm thinking…that we could use her as a bargaining chip."

* * *

The car door slammed behind him as the lights of several vehicles shone into the area. Various personnel were scrambling across the area, individuals in white jackets motioning to and from the Old Mill into the early hours of the morning. Blue police tape was scattered around the vicinity, indicating that an investigation was underway, while a few on duty officers were attempting to usher away any of the local residents, who had stumbled the small distances from their farmhouses or chalets to observe what was going on. Kankuro yawned. It was not uncommon to see such a scene, but he had been none too pleased that he had been woken up in the middle of the night to go down there. Needless to say, whether he liked it or not, the latter was part of his job description and after yanking on the nearest items of clothing, the drive across town had taken a mere five minutes – or so he thought.

"You took your time." The presence of the female caused him to roll his eyes. She sauntered away from one of the white trucks that had stationed itself at the scene after having spoken with one of the forensics.

"Save it, Temari!" He responded. "I wasn't the one pulling an all-nighter again, alright?"

"Maybe you should try it some time, _partner_," the blonde responded. "Instead of leaving me to do all the work." Anyone else and he wouldn't have taken it. Anyone else and he would have found a suitable comeback. It was just unfortunate that his partner just happened to be his sister as well. She beckoned him towards the Old Mill with her head.

"Yeah, yeah! So, what have we got here?" he asked her. Both instinctively showed the patrolling officer their police badges before sauntering beneath the tape and towards the crime scene.

"From what I've heard, it looks like your standard gang war - only a little more gruesome," she explained. "I was waiting for you before I took a proper look around."

As it was relatively dark, most members of the current investigation units had acquired torches. Temari, who had arrived earlier, had acquired two and passed one over the Kankuro before they sauntered through the large entrance of the windmill tower. Many individuals were moving inside the scene, most of them clothed in white. Kankuro shone his torch up against the building walls and immediately determined several bloodstains. Temari, in contrast, shone hers onto the floor and stopped hers above one of the investigators who was overseeing a dead body.

"How did he die?" Temari queried. The detective shone her torch against the corpse's face; his eyes were wide open demonstrating the terror he must have suffered during death.

The investigator, however, shone his own torch against the shoulder of deceased. His right arm was missing. "Severe blood-loss it would seem," came the response. "But we won't know until we've conducted an autopsy."

"And this guy?" Temari's torch had moved from their current object of interest to another who a group were trying to position inside a body bag.

"Seems he was shot in the head." And as stated, a clean bullet wound was noticeable in the man's forehead as the investigators brought the zip up over his head and preceded to move the corpse.

"I don't get it though," Kankuro's brows furrowed. "Gun wounds, yes. But ripping people's arms off?"

"I did say it was gruesome," Temari explained as they motioned across the scene.

"Maybe it's a new angle or something. You know these gang lords; always trying to find new ways of asserting their authority."

"What - torturing not good enough for them anymore?" She shone the torch across the walls once again.

Kankuro chuckled. "Guess not."

The blonde stopped. "Is that what I think it is?" The circular outline of her torchlight shone against a particular fragment on the tower walls. It, like most of the inside, was smeared with blood, but this particular fraction contained the outline of a paw-print. The blonde approached it tentatively.

"What is it?" Kankuro voiced. He too followed his sister as she approached the area of interest. While Temari bent down for a closer inspection, Kankuro remained behind her. He scoffed. "Tch, guard dogs, right? No surprises there."

"They're a little big to be dogs," Temari corrected. She held her hand out next to the print mark, not so close that her own DNA might ruin the evidence, but enough so that she could verify the marking in concordance with her own hand. The stain in question was at least three times bigger than her own. She recoiled on the spot.

Her breathing became unbalanced, and suddenly, several memories crossed her line of vision – an ominous reminder of what had passed a long time ago. The door had been left wide open, the lights left on. _Temari_. The struggle in the household; lamps and tables toppled over; a family portrait smashed on the ground. _Temari_. The thick smell of blood had been nauseating. _Temari_. She remembered trembling, her young voice calling out to anyone that still be in there, might still be home. And then she had seen it – seen them. The two mangled corpses lying on her living room floor. How she had screamed.

"Temari!" She shook her head out of her stupor and no longer was she situated in that abominable household, but instead, she was upon the floor of the Old Mill, the hem of her pencil skirt barely protecting her knees from the cold of the ground. She peered up at Kankuro, who had lowered himself to accommodate her. He possessed something of a concerned expression on his face. His hand was on her shoulder and his face mere inches from hers. "You alright?"

She cast her eyes at the ground. "It's just like that time…isn't it?" she muttered absent-mindedly.

Kankuro's brows furrowed for a moment as if deciphering the contents of her statement. Shortly, however, his gaze softened somewhat. "Hey," he lowered his voice. "That was a long time ago." He offered her a comforting smile. "You sure you up for this?"

Temari cast her emerald hues towards him and seemed to find mockery in his remark. Immediately, she regained her composure and picked herself up off of the floor; Kankuro's hand was shaken from her shoulder. "Of course," she stated officially. "Why wouldn't I be?" She straightened up her clothing and proceeded to another segment in the locale.

Kankuro rose to the full of his height. Instead of checking out the rest of the vicinity, however, he spent a few more seconds peering at the bloodstain that they had uncovered. His brows furrowed at it, half in wonder at what could have caused it. He supposed, nevertheless, that further investigation would uncover the secrets. While it did serve as a subtle reminder of what had once transpired, nonetheless, he was adamant that the past was the past, however painful it might have been. He inhaled. He didn't think he'd ever seen his sister so pale in thirteen years.

* * *

Her heart was racing. And it did not stop racing, even as she clambered out of the vehicle and approached the steps of her father's manor. Her mind was full of turmoil – recollections of the event that had occurred less than thirty minutes before. The blood, the violence, the anger, the war; the individuals that had lost their lives, whether ally or enemy. She had witnessed it all. But none had been worse than seeing her sister succumb to the masses; her younger sister whom she should have protected. But how could she have even hoped to protect Hanabi, when she hadn't even been able to protect herself? And now Hanabi was gone. _Dead?_ No. She refused to believe that. Hanabi was a strong vampire; a stronger person than Hinata could ever hope to be. She had to be alive. But what if she wasn't? Would they spare her? But then why would they? She had been confronted with one. She still remembered his golden hues, burning with that insatiable hunger. He had been so angry, so full of hate for her – a vampire. So how could she be sure that such a type of being would spare her sister – also, a vampire. It seemed futile. And yet, she so desperately wanted to have hope.

No one spoke a word as the remaining vampires sauntered up the stairs. The doors were pried open from the inside – clearly the Branch family members had sensed their arrival – and all returning members entered the abode in desperation. As some members were partially wounded, any attending Branch members immediately went to see to their wounds. Some meandered along the downstairs corridors, while others broke off together in hushed conversations about their recent affair. Neji, in the meantime, approached the main staircase and proceeded to climb it, Tenten hurrying behind him.

"Where are you going?" she queried.

Neji did not stop for her. "To speak with Hiashi-sama!"

"I'm coming with you!" the non-Hyuuga urged. This caused Neji to stop.

"No!" He tilted his head towards her. His composure, which had ruffled for a moment, returned quite quickly. "It's best I speak with him alone." Here, he continued up the steps and disappeared into the upstairs hallway, leaving Tenten slightly miffed, her hands situated on her hips. She, like Hinata, barely challenged Neji when he was like that. For it had certainly been an eventful evening. If only things had worked in their favour.

"Where's Hanabi-sama?"

"Is she alright?"

"They did not return with her…"

The words began spilling from the lips of the few coven members who had not been present for the duration of the mission. Hinata, who did not wish to discuss the topic, immediately broke away from them, her lips trembling as she fought back the urge not to cry then and there. Seeing her room as her only method of freedom – the downstairs corridors were filled with coven members; the main entrance was a bombardment of chatter – she darted up the stairs, passed the remaining brunette who had turned around. She sported Hinata a weak smile, but the gesture was ignored as the dark-haired heiress scurried past her. Even as her name was called, she ignored the voice as she scrambled into the same hallway she had seen her cousin disappear into.

As she left the noise behind her, her footsteps slackened in their haste. She exhaled and her breath was shaky. If she could just make it to her quarters, then she could block it all out for a moment and pretend that it had never happened. That Hanabi was still with them and that everything she had previously witnessed, been exposed to, had been nothing more then a dream. Naturally, however, whereas a day's slumber might temporarily ease the hurt, the reality was very real. And no matter how much she desired to escape it, she knew that the images, the loss, would be permanently embedded in her mind, in her heart.

In order to get to her room, she knew she would have to pass by her father's chambers first. As she approached the grand interior, she noticed that the doors had been sealed closed. Her father was a very private man to some degree. Not many had seen the insides of that room and it was a very rare occasion that he left it open. Needless to say, she knew that Neji was inside along with him, both most likely in discussion. She made to slink past it without a word, but her keen ears managed to pick up the partially muffled noises behind it as she approached. It caused her to stop and she wrung her hands together nervously as she debated with her ever growing curiosity and her own personal morals. In the end, her curiosity triumphed and she crept towards the adjoining walls and pressed her shoulder up against the exterior. The voices travelled to her ears.

"…Truly sorry, Hiashi-sama," Neji's voice was quiet and yet clear. "We will do our best to return her." Of the Branch family, Neji was by far the only one of them that her father regarded favourably. Though Neji was not his son, he possessed all the traits associated with the noble Hyuuga. He was dependable, responsible, efficient, strong, and above all, extremely intelligent. Hinata reckoned this was why her father often chose him to oversee their business ventures. She also, gathered that as his nephew, he was the only surviving link to his late twin brother, Hizashi, although she also knew that her father was not quite an emotional character.

A small silence ensued, followed by an exhale. "You know as well as I do that she is as good as dead." Her father's voice cut through the silence. She detected a slight hint of grief in his voice – or maybe subtle anger; she was not sure. "The lycans are not a merciful group."

Another silence followed. She reckoned that Neji was cleverly holding his tongue, as she herself would have done, but instead out of fear more then anything. Her father eventually continued.

"It will take weeks to erase this lack of progress," he continued. It was as if his daughter's abduction – death – had suddenly filtered to the back of his mind. She heard shuffling. "In that time, I want you to send them a message." Something was retrieved and she heard the sound of papers being shuffled. "The Full Moon is a known lycan bout situated on the corner of Ridgestock Avenue and Forty-First Street. It should be easy for you to locate as they open their doors to _humans_ as well." The emphasised word was riddled with contempt. "Once our masses have recuperated and our allies acquired, I would like you to take a unit down there and spare no one."

"Understood," Neji responded. "Is there anything else, Hiashi-sama?"

Another pause. "You protected _her_…didn't you?" Her father spoke once again. "Hinata, that is."

Neji did not reply straight away. It sounded as if he was selecting his words carefully. Needless to say, he responded truthfully. What her father said next caused her heart to stop momentarily, nevertheless.

"I can't help but think that the situation would have been easier had it been her instead."

She gasped, drawing in a mouthful of air before slapping her own hands over her mouth to silence herself. Most of the residents of the Hyuuga household possessed avid hearing, and she knew the slightest sound would alert her father and cousin. Naturally, knowing them, they may have known she was present already.

"Hinata." A voice summoned her from behind and she swivelled around and took note that Tenten was also standing in the hallway. Her expression also radiated concern, and it was that same unease that caused the corners of Hinata's eyes to prickle with her own tears.

She turned on her heel and fled, a hand settling over her chest; the designated area suddenly felt tight. She did not stop until she found her room. The door had been left ajar and she broke into the interior, flopping down on her bed amongst the plush duvet covers and half a dozen cushions. She clung onto them almost like a child and curled herself up into her ball. She knew that her father had never really thought much of her. He had always been rather vocal at his disappointment in her. But to wish that she was dead? She had never expected that. She had always hoped that somewhere beneath that regal exterior of his, he possessed the slightest ounce of sentiment for her, even if it stood at pity. But none at all? The words had fallen from his lips with ease, with indifference.

She heard the presence of another in the way of her bedroom door and fought to hold back the tears, wiping away any remnants that had already escaped.

"Hinata," Tenten's soft voice spoke tentatively as she closed the door behind her. Hinata did not move at first, but her morals made her react otherwise, as she slowly rose from the confines of her bed, allowing her legs to slide over the edge and onto the floor. She tilted her head towards the brown-haired vampire, crystal blues emphasising the sadness that she felt. "Hinata…I'm…sorry you had to hear that." Her friend continued. It seemed that she was at a loss for words, something very rare for Tenten. The bed lurched as the extra weight settled on the edge. "Just know that…"

"I already…know he hates me," the bluenette interrupted. Her hands found one another in her lap and she could not stop them from fidgeting. Her head lolled forwards slightly.

Tenten chose her words carefully. "Don't say that," she began. "Hiashi-sama's probably just…upset about Hanabi and…"

"I am a disappointment," Hinata almost snapped at herself. She immediately ceased her flinching and broke her hands apart. Tenten fell silent, but Hinata continued. "I couldn't save her…I couldn't do anything…"

"You've never…experienced anything like that before," her friend tried. "How were you supposed to know…?"

"But I should have known!" Her voice trembled and for a second she was surprised at her own anger, at her own loathing of herself. She tilted her head away from Tenten and allowed her long blue locks to obscure her face. Her fingers proceeded to run a course through them. "I should have…have tried to protect her,"

Tenten once again considered her words before she spoke. "Hinata," she began. "This was no one's fault. The lycan were just…better prepared then we were on this occasion. There _will_ be a next time and we _will_ bring Hanabi back."

"Hanabi's…d…dead." She closed her eyes as the word slid from her lips like poison. "You heard my father."

"No, she's not!" Tenten's voice held a something of a resonating determination that caused Hinata's eyes to burst open. When she gained the courage to tilt her head towards the brunette, she detected the very same fortitude in her chestnut eyes. "You know as well as I do that Hanabi's a fighter. And whether there are ten lycan or ten thousand…"

A small rapping was heard upon the door of the quarters and both girls lifted their heads in unison, peering forth at the distraction. Both instinctively sensed the presence on the opposite side of the door. It was Tenten, however, who spoke. "Come in," she muttered; there was a faint reluctance in her voice.

The door slid open. "Tenten, a word?" Neji, who had positioned himself in the centre of the doorway, manoeuvred back into the hall as he awaited Tenten to take initiative. The vampiress exhaled, peering back at the female Hyuuga with an apologetic expression.

"I'm here…if you want to talk." She offered another weak smile, before lifting herself off of the mattress and proceeding into the hallway. She closed the door behind her.

"You should not get her hopes up," she heard Neji say as they proceeded further into the hallway.

"She's my friend, Neji," Tenten retaliated. "And she's hurting. What would you have me say?"

"The truth…"

Hinata breathed as their voices trailed off into the distance. Even Neji did not seem to believe that Hanabi had survived. She half wondered if Tenten believed it as well. But why would she lie to her? Tenten had always been someone who, more often then not, spoke her mind. And Hinata had sensed it – sensed the resilience in her heart. In a sense, it roused something within her own heart. A desire to be of some use, however great or small. Because what she had seen that day had been truly terrifying, so terrifying that she desired nothing more then for it to stop, then to find away to stop it all. Without the bloodshed. Without the unnecessary violence. Without the death. But she was only one vampire. One Hyuuga alone – and a very inexperienced one that. Her father would probably think her ideas preposterous. And she knew nothing of these lycan, excluding what she had already seen that night. And they had been vicious – merciless – and likely were unwilling to listen to reason. The one whom she had been confronted with had been the embodiment of that.

And yet, she had seen him in his mid-transformed state. She had seen the remnants of his human-like half. Maybe that meant that to some degree, they were not all driven by killer instinct. She remembered his words. How he had stated that the war between vampire and lycan had been started by they – the vampire – and how they had brought it upon themselves. Did that mean the _supposed_ enemy were fighting out of purpose – out of revenge? Was there perhaps something her father knew that she did not? She wanted to ask him, but knew that now was not a definitive moment in time to speak with him. She imagined that he was grieving in his own way. So, if she could not ask him, she could perhaps ask someone else. But would any of the other Hyuuga know? And of those that did know, would they tell her the truth and take her seriously? Or would they sugar-coat it? Just like they always did.

Hinata's brows furrowed. For the first time in many years, though her heart felt heavy, her mind was filled with logic. She wanted to ask someone else. And hadn't her father spoke of a place? A place between…Ridgestock Avenue and Forty-First Street? She lifted her head as an idea sprang to mind.

Hanabi's death would not be in vain.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:** So I lost my beta, which means I'm now back to betaing my own work so I apologise if there are any errors in this chapter. I'm so very used to my own work that I often miss typos or grammatical errors and spell-checker just isn't all it's cracked up to be sometimes. Either way, it's still exam period and I'm quite busy hitting the books right now, but I still thought I'd like to get this chapter up quicker than the previous chapter. So, enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

The address of the nightclub was clenched within her grasp. The Full Moon. A nightclub to the masses – human or otherwise – and also known to attract a number of lycans into the local vicinity. That was where she had decided to go the following evening. That was where she would attempt to find out all. And that was where she hoped to negotiate a truce. She knew it was dangerous however. She knew that there was every possibility that she mightn't come back. But if the lycan were anything like the vampire, it was feasible that the club itself would act as a neutral location - whereby both vampire and lycan would be averse to disclosing their truer natures for the world to see. Or at least she hoped.

The manor had been rather quiet that evening. Many of the vampire were still resting - still healing. In that time Hinata had picked her moment, awaiting her father to disappear somewhere towards the other side of the building. Once she was certain his presence was indistinct, she had snuck into his empty quarters and had began nervously rifling through his desk draws until she located the designated address. Her father had immaculate taste; he was very much the product of the era he had been born in. Therefore, his chambers resembled that of the insides of a household apparent over two centuries ago. Needless to say, everything inside, from the carpets and the rugs to the paintings along the walls and the tall crimson drapes, remained in perfect condition. She did not have time to admire the scenery, however, as she quickly made a note of the address on her scrap piece of paper. Once acquired, she then darted from the room as hastily as she had arrived, heart thudding dangerously in her chest at the anticipation of being caught.

Hand on heart, she exhaled deeply before pulling away from her father's room and beginning the careful meander along the hallways. She did not want to be noticed by anyone and so listened very ardently to her surroundings. She knew that both Neji and Tenten were still present within the household and desired nothing more then to avoid either most of all. Neji would sense her unease with a mere glance and Tenten would pick her thoughts with a clever choice of words. She did not like the idea of lying to either, but knew that if it came to it, she would not be able to anyway.

Fortunately, when she came to them, the stairs were also quiet and she was able to slip down them without the slightest hint of noise. Voices in the corridor adjacent permitted her to pick up her pace and she carefully slipped along another adjoining corridor – unlit – and pressed her back up against the walls as she awaited the advocates to pass by. From what she could hear, the two characters were Branch family members – two of her younger cousins – who appeared to be in rather high spirits irrespective of the melancholy that had prevailed over most of the household. Neither one of them seemed to pick up on her presence as the two sailed by into the corridor opposite, and she waited for their voices to disappear entirely before she entered the same corridor and followed its formation around to the West Wing of the building. There was something she had to do first.

The West Wing resembled the East Wing in appearance. It contained the typical household features that the entire Hyuuga abode adorned. The only difference was that it was here that the basement fraction of the Hyuuga residence was accessible by. Hinata peered up at the seemingly ordinary door, before glancing in both directions lest someone spot her. In turn, she turned the doorknob and granted herself access into the darkened stairwell, closing the door quietly behind her, before beginning the descent.

Black became silver as she entered into the plain characteristic hallways of the lower levels. The lights from the torches guided her along the hallway until she reached those familiar grand doors. She removed her pendant as she had seen various members of the main household demonstrate before her, and pressed the centrepiece into the seal. The doors lurched open at the command and Hinata entered into the large room. As usual, the Hyuuga insignia peered up at her and the coffin stood at a distance, but Hinata ignored them and sauntered towards the mahogany door. Like before, she placed her pendant within the door seal and it granted her entrance; the door fell open.

The room was dark at first, but no sooner had she stepped inside, a row of candles proceeded to light up along the walls and the ceiling in a chronological fashion. The measure carried on along the floor in a rectangular formation and thus Hinata was able to perceive the objects within the room: the pretty chandelier flickering candlelight from the ceiling, casting refracted shapes on the walls from the diamonds that hung from it: the red velvet rug that draped from the pedestal and the onto the ground towards the door: the stone-coated flooring that demonstrated the age of the room: and the large granite coffin with the Hyuuga symbol carved into the stone casket with various other designs crafted into it.

Hinata stood before the coffin and bowed respectfully. "Hello, mother," She muttered. For this abode - this shrine - was indeed the final resting place of the woman she had once come to know as her closest relation. Tomorrow was the anniversary of her death and Hinata had thought it right that she pay her respects in case she did not return the following eve. Situated on a nearby pedestal was an incense holder alongside various incense; immediately, she set to work and lit three of them. She positioned them inside the holder and then set it on the floor at the foot of the pedestal where her mother's coffin laid. Kneeling, she spent the better part of ten minutes, paying her respects to her deceased ancestor and remembering her memory. How pleasant and encouraging she had been; the polar opposite of her husband.

As per usual, the room was like her father's quarters; ancient in appeal and yet well looked after. Her mother's coffin was decorated with a few of her belongings - some of the books she liked to read, various ornaments that were important to her, a few herbs that had remained intact and of course, several items of jewellery. When Hinata opened her eyes from sparing her mother a small pray, the item that caught her eye was a beautiful sapphire pendant for which she recognised immediately. It stood as the coffin's centrepiece and in Hinata's memory, it had always been an item her mother had worn frequently. In a sense, it was almost as if the woman was peering back at her with that familiar supportive gleam. It was for a moment that she was suddenly granted a small sense of gratification for the efforts she was about to undergo, and unwilling for that feeling to disperse, she rose and reached for the pendent in question, running a thumb over the blue orb. There, she cupped it in her hand for a moment and inhaled - that same feeling of righteousness returned - before she slipped the pendant around her neck and locked it in place. Tucking it beneath her clothing, she bowed one last time before leaving the room.

"Watch me." she spoke, before she departed and sealed the door shut behind her.

* * *

Sneaking out of the Hyuuga mansion was much harder than she had anticipated, but acquiring a cloak and blending into any darkened hallways was an easy enough ploy to avoid any of the Branch family members. She had been fortunate not to bump into Neji, Tenten or her father and had finally managed to duck into the residence's gardens before breaching a side entrance that she had once located as a child. Once into the streets, she had ran along the quiet roads – most of the homes within the vicinity were as grand-scale as theirs and more often then not, stood a fair distance away – and did not stop until she could no longer see the Hyuuga manor. It was here that she located a nearby phone-box and had a cab come to pick her up. The taxi swung by a mere ten minutes later, whereby she dictated the address to the driver; soon, she found herself speeding away from her father's house in the suburbs and into the busy city livelihood.

It was a rare event to find herself in the city alone. Often someone would escort her, whether it was Tenten for a social call, or on more important events, a Branch family member or Neji. Seeing the streets come alive was something of a pleasant sight; the neon lights were casting images down at her; the people seemed royally animated – individuals were dressed accordingly and some not so accordingly. But though the streets were alive with verve, she couldn't help but feel a slight sense of unease in expectancy as the location approached. It was when they arrived and the car jerked to a stop that Hinata's heart began its customary ricocheting inside her chest. She passed the driver the cash and dragged herself from the vehicle. Slamming the door shut, she peered up at the club. The Full Moon was written in bright blue neon letters - the outline of a moon was situated next to it with a few half a dozen smaller lights – obviously simulating stars - flickering intensely. She suddenly felt very small in comparison and pressed her hand up against her chest. At the same time, she felt the prominent bulge from beneath the material and was reminded of her mother's pendant and the reasons she had come there that night. To stop the war. To negotiate. And through her pacifist tendencies to avenge Hanabi…somehow. She breathed, before entering the club.

* * *

Like most clubs, the ambience was alive, trance music exploding from the speakers and giving people incentive – whether under the influence or not – to dance the night away. Some characters were not dancing, however, preferring to take the opportunity to get a glass of something strong or socialise with the local talent. That very same night, four lycan brethren had decided to surface in order to celebrate their progress from the previous night. Kiba was currently conversing with a young blonde, who seemed to be hanging on his every word. He knew she was drunk, but she was certainly a looker. Sai, who had that permanent smile etched into his face, was quietly sipping on a beverage. He, unlike his colleagues, despised the taste of alcohol and so had opted for a soft drink instead. In the meantime, Naruto was standing proud by the bar in an attempt to appear cool, while his younger friend and mock protégé, Konohamaru, attempted to scout for females on his behalf.

"How about that one?" The younger lycan pointed to a fairly attractive redhead who was dancing a small distance away from them.

Naruto made a dismissing gesture.

"Hmm…well, that one?" He gestured to a strawberry blonde who was laughing at something her colleague had said.

Naruto dismissed her again.

Konohamaru gave him a disbelieving look.

"What?" Naruto began. "You're going about it all wrong." He was trying to teach Konohamaru how to pick up and chat to girls. The younger lycan regarded the blond as someone well versed in life and therefore looked up to him. But what Konohamaru was unaware of, was that Naruto was a fraud in a certain sense. He had never successfully acquired the attention of a girl in his life. "It's all about picking the _right_ one."

Konohamaru folded his arms. "Oh yeah?" He piped up. "Well you pick one then."

Pride on the line, Naruto scouted the room once more. In reality, there was quite a selection that night, but from what he could see, most of them were surrounded by their friends. Naruto recalled facing the embarrassment of trying to approach a girl in this predicament. It had nearly always ended badly, and so had decided to opt for someone alone. Eventually, he bypassed Sai and Kiba at the bar and noticed a pretty little olive-haired missus, who was standing at the bar. She had something of a solemn look on her face and every now and again tapped her well-manicured nails on the bar surface. He locked eyes on her and Konohamaru seemed to follow his gaze as Naruto squeezed through the crowd along the bar towards her.

Her back was situated towards him and he figured that he'd saddle up behind her. He had the perfect image of it in his mind. He'd start off with something easy and then use his charisma to get her to warm up to him. Heck, she didn't know who he was, and he figured that he was fairly good looking – the better looking of all those he had arrived with, that was for sure. So in turn, he took a deep breath and squeezed into the small space behind her. He leaned on the counter gently and didn't seem to notice the third party position herself ahead of his target. In turn, he adorned what he perceived as a suave composure and then opened his mouth.

"So…can I buy you a dr…?"

He felt his eyes water immediately as the collision met him square in the face. For some reason, the female he had targeted had suddenly burst out laughing and one of her hands had flailed in the process, knocking him square in the face. He brought both his hands to his nose and backed away slightly, just as the girl turned around and offered him an apology. It seemed that she had not been alone after all and that her colleague had just told a rather epic joke. Naruto squinted as the pain receded somewhat. He, himself, however was soon graced with the presence of Konohamaru, who arrived beside him, alongside Sai, both of whom sported amused expressions.

"I do believe your timing was off." he heard Sai state. "I read in a book somewhere that when talking to women, you must search for an opportunity."

Naruto grimaced.

In the background someone else chuckled. "Better luck next time, ey Naruto?" Kiba's voice swam towards him. When the blond set his blues on the lycan in question, he had his right arm wrapped around the very same pretty little blonde.

He was regarded with a sneer from the blond lycan, but before a retaliation could be made, a mild disturbance in the background caused the female on his arm to shuffle in his grasp. Beyond Naruto, the female he had tried to talk to and her girlfriend had also, noticed the drama and when all four lycan brethren turned to acknowledge the occurrence, they came to realise that a fight had started right in the centre of the dance floor. Spectators were being pushed out of the way, both by the fighters and the club's security and the music had ceased somewhat in order to both highlight and bring some decorum to the atmosphere.

Kiba peered over the masses – his curiosity had peaked along with everyone else – and at the same time, a string of people were violently forced backwards sending a young woman falling towards him. He was able to stop himself and his girl for the evening, from falling over and the girl who had bumped into him, turned towards him slightly and muttered her apologies. The moment was brief, however, as he was met with a familiar pair of crystal blue eyes. The girl's face paled for a moment and she quickly turned her head away from them, a mop of dark blue tresses shielding her from view. Before, he could say anything, nevertheless, the girl had torn through the crowd and slid out of reach.

"Who was that?" The blonde on his arm questioned.

Kiba did not remove his gaze from the mass of blue hair that was desperately trying to slip through the multitude. He had seen those eyes before. Smelt that scent before. The same fear, the same desperation – it was all there. But what was _she_ doing there? At the Full Moon bar? It was impossible to think that she was alone, but he intended to corner her fast. He wouldn't let her get away again.

"No one," he eventually responded before slipping his own arm from around the blonde's waist and stepping passed her. He lowered his voice as he addressed his comrades. "They're here."

"Who?" Konohamaru queried. Naruto and Sai leaned forwards, their attentions grasped.

"The vampires," Kiba hissed. He beckoned towards the crowd. The motioning form of the vampire he had seen earlier was still in the room and from what he could see, she was making a beeline for one of the side exits. "She's getting away. We have to go!" And with that, he began tearing through the crowd of people, Naruto, Konohamaru and Sai on his heels.

* * *

Hinata was in a panic. She had entered the club at first with her task in mind, but no sooner had she stepped into the fray, she had come to realise that she had absolutely no idea how she would go about identifying a lycan in his human form. Of course, this had been pushed to the side when she had disappeared amongst the swarm of people and had virtually blended into the throng. The hordes of people were in high spirits - individuals laughing and joking with their friends; some were more inebriated than others. For a moment, she had almost forgotten why she was there. And that was when the fight had broken out. She had been trapped between a couple of men - both of them tall, one of them broad - and it had taken a mere few seconds to find herself forced to the back. That was where it had happened and she had landed up against someone else. Manners had told her to apologise even though it had clearly not been her fault, but no sooner had she locked eyes with the individual whom she had collided, was no sooner that she remembered as to why she was there.

She didn't understand how she could tell. The room was a lot darker than it had been by the old mill and his demeanour was different from that of his post-transformed state. But she remembered his eyes. Not that golden fury this time, but that deep dark-chocolate hue that she had seen through the back window of the car the previous night. Moreover, it was as if he had remembered her as well and the nerves that had followed her into the ambience had immediately catapulted into the centre of her chest. Manners forgotten, she had swivelled on her heel and desperately attempted to make herself scarce by slipping into the crowd of people who were trying to get a glimpse of the fight that the security guards were trying to pull apart.

She did not look back. Her target was an exit. But as the main entrance was right the way over the other side of the room, she opted for another door instead – the only fire exit in the domain. Perhaps if she was lucky, he might have been intoxicated and her presence would appear nothing more then a mirage to him. Or even if he did, perhaps the animation of the club would prohibit him from following her. Whatever the circumstance, she had to have hope. Evidently, however, the crowd began to thin as she reached the outskirts and manoeuvring through the assembly was no longer difficult. At the same time as she reached the fire exit however, the music proceeded to play again indicating that whatever fight had broken out had been apprehended. She did not have time to check, nonetheless, as she reached out and pushed down on the handle bar, causing the door to open. In turn, the cold air entered into the abode momentarily as she slid out through the entrance and sealed it shut behind her.

Outside, she found herself located at the side of the building; her surroundings were a morbid little alleyway, her only source of mild light coming from the flickering light bulb situated into the building wall and various lights from the streets up ahead. Behind her was a dead-end, barricaded with a brick wall and a large silver trash compacter was stationed in the corner. A few black bags had been left nearby and the smell was something unpleasant. Ducking away from the light bulb, she stepped forwards towards the streets and then stopped.

She had set eyes on a lycan and while she had recognised him and remembered him as that foul creature that had tried to kill her, wasn't that why she was there initially? She had come to negotiate. On neutral turf. On behalf of the Hyuuga. It therefore, did not make much sense that she had fled at the first hurdle. She suddenly felt pathetic. Hadn't that been what she had done at the Old Mill? Fled from the scene like a coward. It had been her cowardice that had cost Hanabi her life and Hinata so desperately wanted to avenge her: to put things right and bring peace between the two species. How could she even hope to do that if she kept running away?

Three silhouettes suddenly sprang forth and surrounded her. One had lunged from above and two had approached her from the street entrance, blocking her escape route. The fire exit lurched open and a forth individual also joined the scene. Hinata froze on the spot, but utilised her transparent orbs to gain perspective. She clenched her trousers beneath her cloak in order to stop them from trembling, but could not stop herself from gulping.

"Looks like we meet again, vampire," the voice was familiar, but unlike the previous encounter, there was no sinister undertone. She swivelled around and instantly recognised the lycan she had seen earlier. He was the one who had appeared seemingly from above and had taken a step towards her from the shadows. The remaining three – probably lycan as well – were new faces.

"…Idontwantanytrouble…" She muttered nervously. They did not seem to regard her remark.

"So, where's the rest of them, huh?" One of the lycans from the street entrance piped up. He glanced upward as if he was searching for something and his shorter brown-haired accomplice followed suit.

Hinata clenched her teeth together in her mouth. She was unsure what to say at first, but knew that if she told them there were others, they might interpret this as some sort of clash. As this was not her intention, she opted for the truth instead. This was a negotiation after all. "T…there is no one else," she stuttered.

The only familiar lycan of the pack graced her with a disbelieving look. She heard him inhale through his nose as if he was sniffing the airwaves around him; his dark eyes scouted the area gradually, before they eventually settled back on her.

"I believe she's telling the truth, Kiba," The third lycan confirmed. Face abnormally pale on par with that of Orochimaru, Hinata momentarily glanced at the lycan stationed to the right of her. His hair was a wispy black mop and his expression was unnaturally serene.

The brunette from behind her snickered broadly. "A vampire? Out here by herself?"

The named lycan glared down at her for a moment, which caused her to shrink under his gaze.

"Seems almost as bold as that other one we captured," another voiced

"Hanabi!" Her eyes widened, which was systematically followed by a gasp as she slapped both hands over her mouth again. Had she heard correctly? He had said 'captured'. Did that mean there was a chance that she was still alive?

"Hanabi?" Kiba challenged. "Is that her name, then? Wouldn't happen to be related to her by any chance?"

Hinata allowed her hands to drop slowly from her lips, her eyes deviating swiftly. She debated internally as to whether it was wise to disclose that information. Behind her, the smaller lycan scoffed. "Tch, it's kinda obvious," he folded his arms. "She's definitely a Hyuuga alright. That other one only talks when it suits her."

"And she is indeed _vulgar_ with it," spoke the pasty-faced lycan.

So it was true. Hanabi was alive. Her eyes radiated relief and the lycan in front of her seemed to sense it.

"That's right, vampire," continued Kiba. "She's alive. Seems she's more useful to us that way."

"What is it you want with her?" Hinata could not help but query. From what she had heard and what she had seen, the lycanthrope were a ruthless people. What could possibly motivate them to keep her alive? What motivated them…period?

She saw Kiba snigger. "What we want with her isn't your business," he responded. "Just know that she's in _good hands_." The remark only broadened the snickering, albeit the darker-haired lycan still remained indifferent – a smile on his face. It was unnerving. Not knowing what they planned to do with her sister. Not knowing what plans they had for them as a race – as a whole. Hanabi was alive however – that was for certain – and Hinata hoped that it would stay that way – hoped to keep it that way. After all, her father valued Hanabi's life over her own. Certainly, Hinata herself would be no great loss – the thoughts made her eyes sadden – but if she could be of use to her coven in some way…even at a distance. She breathed. All prior methods of negotiation suddenly vanished from her mind and all she could think of was the only possible way she could help her kind – help Hanabi. She closed her eyes tight and the words fell from her lips.

"Take me instead," she blurted out.

A small silence unfolded over the atmosphere and when Hinata opened her eyes next, she took note that all four lycans were exchanging glances.

"Is that what you came out here for?" the brunette stationed behind her finally broke the silence. "To play hero?"

"I say we get rid of her already,"

"I don't trust her,"

"I don't trust her either,"

"Hanabi is my sister!" The vampiress divulged. She figured she would soon regret it, but she wanted to diminish suspicion entirely. "And I am responsible for her." This was not necessarily the case, but as her older sister, she felt as though she should be – she should have been. "I realise that this must sound…_pathetic_ to you," It sounded pathetic to the vampire herself. "But please," she continued. "If you must take someone…take me."

She attempted to hold his gaze somewhat. The lycan – the one they called Kiba – appeared as if he was leader of their little group, or at least that was what it felt like. She knew that if she could not convince him, than that the others would surely follow and so she fought the urge not to look away. Eventually, the lycans lips curled and she took note of the minor canines that were sharpest along his teeth. "Very well," He stated, his eyes lingered slightly to the left and Hinata exhaled gratefully. "Shall we?" He continued to grin. It was that grin, however, that suddenly made her feel uneasy. Nevertheless, she was a little late determining the shadow that was moving towards her and didn't realise the predicament she was in until she felt the slight pain amplify at the corner of her next. Her world turned black.

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N:** It's starting to look like I'm going to end up uploading chapters of this roleplay monthly. Ironically, I've got the next three chapters pre-written, but I'm still on the hunt for a Beta. Any fans looking to get a glimpse of up and coming chapters before anyone else, should send me a message. That said, I hope my absence hasn't detered you that much. Exam period is finally over and yet, I'm still incredibly busy. Things should ease up by the end of this week. But yeah, I'm waffling. Enjoy the next chapter of Blood Diamonds and please review. I'm always trying to improve characterisation of certain characters in this fic.

* * *

**Chapter Four**

"It is very unlike a vampire to travel alone," Sai remarked as the female in question slumped backwards into his grasp. He had recently rendered her unconscious with pressure carefully applied to her neck – to her carotid - a technique he had found within the pages of a book. He eased her body to the ground.

"I'm not convinced," Kiba interjected. "Search her for a bug or something. I bet those vampires sent her as a decoy." He figured that they might have been trying to track them to their hideaway. That way, they'd be able to annihilate them all when they least expected it. In the meantime, Sai set to work. The fact that she was a woman did not seem to faze him in the slightest. Like most things, he was rather indifferent to it.

Naruto fashioned his arms behind his head; a bored expression centred on his features. "Seems a bit weird to me."

"I'll say," Konohamaru agreed. "You sure she's a vampire? Behaves more like a human if you ask me."

"Nah! I've crossed paths with this one before," Kiba continued. "She's a vampire, alright."

"Seems a bit strange if you ask me."

"Regardless, she's still a vampire," came the response. "We have to be on guard."

"There appears to be nothing on her whatsoever," Sai interrupted. "The only thing I found was this." He tugged on one of the chains that were hung around her neck. Everyone immediately recognised the symbol on the centrepiece.

"That symbol," Konohamaru ducked in for a closer look. "Means she's important right?"

Both Kiba and Sai nodded. Kiba recalled that she had mentioned being a direct relation of their other prisoner and he supposed to that extent, she had been telling the truth.

"So then what should we do with her?"

"I believe we're drawing attention to ourselves," Sai, who had taken the opportunity to peer towards the alleyway-to-street entrance, had taken note of a few people glimpsing in their direction as they sauntered passed. It wasn't uncommon for people to gather in alleyways, but from a human perspective, nothing good could come from it. Their suspicious gazes caused Kiba to think swiftly.

"Well, she's not tagged or anything so…" He scrutinized the vampire briefly. Obscured by both the darkness of twilight and her midnight locks, she almost looked peaceful. Needless to say, tranquil or not, he had not forgotten that she was still the enemy. In his lifetime, he had crossed paths with quite a few vampires, some more manipulative than others. He refused to believe that this vampiress was any different. But killing her here would draw even more attention to them and if there was one thing that both the lycan and vampire did agree upon, it was keeping their true identities undisclosed from the human world. "We'll take her with us." He stated finally, taking a step forwards and bending down. He grasped the vampire by her arms and hauled her onto his shoulder. "Maybe she'll know something about the Byakugan."

Sai and Konohamaru rose to their feet and Naruto joined the mild circle. It was when they had judged the coast to be clear that all four characters propelled themselves into the air. Their lycan-speed coupled with their animalistic reflexes saw them scouting the adjoining walls of the alleyway and the night club, until they breached the rooftops. Their journey was swift.

* * *

As usual, the area surrounding the warehouse was quiet. It was very rare that members of the public crossed it during the evening, unless accompanied by others – and even then, chances were slim. The four lycans travelled in a cluster and ran along the edge of the crumbling apartment block at the end of road that led towards their destination. Like their warehouse, it too had been abandoned and licensed for demolition but had yet to see its final day. The lycans dropped along the side of the building and ran along the vertical brickwork before judging for that opportune moment before ricocheting from the wall to the ground in graceful succession. Their conversation had become somewhat animated. Clearly, any alcohol-induced buzz they might have had before had completely vanished, but their memories from the club had not and their voices trailed off along the open road.

The warehouse itself resembled a dark and leering presence, but to the current occupants, it indicated home. All four individuals bypassed the metal fence, layered with barbwire and crossed over into the ambience itself through the large entrance. The inside was virtually desolate, save for a few remaining crates, caskets and various utensils much too old or too damaged to be of use. A Combisafe stairway led towards an upper level, but the metallic, seamless tiles of the second storey contained not much else either. The lycan bypassed this measure and crossed the room towards the only door that had remained intact. Naruto wrenched it open and all four of them proceeded to descend down the steps of the darkened corridor.

An earthy light shone at the end of the stairway, indicating that the place was already occupied and when all four individuals entered into the abode, they were met with the familiar faces of two of their lycan counterparts.

"Didn't expect to see you lot tonight," came the drone. Shikamaru was propped up on a crate, stationed at a makeshift desk with a laptop propped up on the surface. Sakura was situated next to him; her body was arched forwards, her elbow propped up on the surface in a mild close proximity. It was likely that they had been discussing something in regards to the laptop.

"Were we interrupting something?" Kiba sniggered, the additional weight still sustained on his shoulder.

Shikamaru presented him with a nonchalant look, while Sakura immediately lifted herself from her arched demeanour and folded her arms in a dismissive function. Kiba noticed her cheeks tint a light shade of pink in the hollow light. "We were just comparing information, that's all," she remarked.

"Where's Chouji?" Naruto queried as he made a swift beeline for the nearest crate and sat himself on top of it.

"Overseeing the base at the docks," Shikamaru responded. He pushed back the laptop and peered over at them. "What's that?" He asked Kiba, as the brown-haired lycan edged into the centre of the room.

He hauled the being off of his shoulder and placed her on the floor, hardly sparing her comfort. "Another vampire," he responded. "Caught this one at The Full Moon club sneaking around. Figured we might have more luck with her in comparison to the other one. They're sisters apparently."

"I see," Shikamaru rose from his seat to get a better view. "Well, I highly doubt she disclosed her purpose..."

"She was quite vocal about it actually," Sai interrupted.

"Said something about swapping her life for her sister's or something," Konohamaru yawned as he settled himself on a crate adjacent to Kiba.

"How chivalrous." Sakura had also, motioned from her previous position, sauntering around the desk towards the vampire's limp form. She bent down for a closer inspection.

"I know, right?" Kiba interjected.

"These vampires are full of surprises, that's for sure," Konohamaru stated.

"What about tracking devices? You know that this could all've…"

"Yeah, we checked that all already," interjected Kiba. "She's clean. Not an ounce of metal on her…save for those chains."

Sakura, who had located the necklaces in question, fingered each one in unison; the sapphire crystal, clearly beautiful and yet rare, and then the Hyuuga emblem, skilfully crafted. "Was she hostile?" the pink-haired lycan asked.

"Hardly."

"More frightened then anything," Kiba continued to explain. He rolled his shoulders, becoming accustomed to the reduced weight on them.

Sakura allowed the chains to slip from her fingers and they settled back where they lay atop the comatose vampire. Judging by the crease in her brows, she was just as sceptical as the rest of them. They had engaged the vampire in battle a mere night ago. They had not been so pleasant then. She rose from her crouched position. "Shikamaru." She turned towards the other. "What do you think?"

The addressed inhaled for a moment as if he were truly contemplating their situation and all of the hideaway's current members looked on expectantly. "Well," he finally began. "It was risky of you to bring her here. If anything you may have been followed, but I trust that you would have most likely identified any vampires had that been the case. Therefore, it might be an idea to interrogate this one; if she is as you describe her, then we may be able to acquire valuable information from her."

Kiba side-glanced Naruto and both individuals grinned knowingly.

"But she can't stay here," Shikamaru continued. "Two of you will have to relocate her to The Docks _and_ ensure that you are not followed."

"What if this one happens to be a dud as well?" Konohamaru spoke up.

"Aren't vampires a loyal bunch?"

"Family ties are a problem," Shikamaru replied. He pressed his hands into his thighs. "And the Hyuuga are like any noble family. But…I want to test that loyalty and see whether they are prepared to negotiate. Sakura." He addressed the only female in the room. "Do you reckon you could send the word out to the vampires?"

* * *

"My apologies, Hiashi-sama," the reluctant Hyuuga spoke. "But we cannot locate Hinata-sama."

Hiashi disguised his emotions with an uncompromising stare, as he peered forwards at the two Branch family members who had come to deliver him the news. It had been a mere five hours ago that he had specified that the entire manor was to be placed on lockdown. This meant that any residents, Branch and Main, were to remain within the Hyuuga confines until further notice. Any social gatherings, which had spawned invitations to any allies on the outside, had been placed on hold. The intention was to give the Hyuuga time to prepare for the subsequent and future retaliations to the lycan menace.

Naturally, he had wished to speak to all those whom it concerned. Both Neji and Tenten had been addressed the previous night and any Hyuuga members who were able bodied had been debriefed earlier on that night – their priority was to physically recuperate and prepare for a potential uprising. Then, he had wished to speak with his only remaining daughter. He had yet to query her thoughts on the demise of her younger sister and didn't very much care to hear them, unless they had strengthened her in some way. He highly doubted it, nevertheless. He imagined that after witnessing the brutality of the lycan-vampire carnage, she was prospectively more mouse-like then before. He knew, however, that with fear would often more than not come desperation and with desperation would come strength. But it would seem that he was not destined to perceive his theory as the young Hyuuga _heiress_ had vanished from the manor entirely.

His first instinct was that she had run away. This was unexpected, but then, through careful consideration, he guessed that it was somewhat inevitable. Perhaps the vampiress had given up. Perhaps the bloodshed had been too great and now that she had had a taste of reality, she was merely keen to flee from it. He doubted, however, that she would survive and at some point or other, she was pick her moment to return to them…unless she did not possess the courage to face them either.

His second instinct was that she had done something stupid. He possessed a small inkling that Hanabi's death had been related to her older sibling in some way or other, but had no real proof to come to that notion. Irrespective, if he knew his daughter well enough, he suspected that she most likely blamed herself - she was very much like her mother had been to that extent – and had therefore decided to do something about the impending guilt. Again, however, Hiashi's calm logic told him that Hinata was hardly the vengeful type. Brash behaviour was not in her character. She had never been one to seek trouble and had very much been kept away from it. But one thing was for certain. She had run away.

"Assemble a unit and find her," Hiashi declared unfalteringly. "The lockdown is only to be lifted for that unit and that unit alone. Report back to me before dawn." He finished and the two Branch members bowed respectfully, before they fled from the room much quicker than they had arrived.

Hiashi was left to his devices once more. The wedding had initially been scheduled for the following weekend. Now, however, with the rise of the lycans coupled with the disappearance of the bride, it would have to be postponed also. The coven leader prided himself on the control he asserted over the coven and because of this, possessed an extreme dislike for occurrences that jeopardised that control. Naturally, the lycans had been unanticipated. They were a nuisance that he was certain could be contained. The disappearance of his daughter, however, was uncalled for, but strangely enough, it did not take as much priority over their battle-hungry nemesis. If she was not already dead, she would surface. That he was certain of.

His hand moved to the telephone that was stationed on the left-hand side of his desk. It was perhaps one of the few objects in the room that looked slightly modern and out of place. He picked up the receiver and brought it to his ear, pushing on a single key that he had designated for speed dial. The sounds of dialling numbers were simulated in place of the dial tone and soon enough, he heard that familiar ringing drone as he awaited the recipient to pick up. The ringing ceased and a voice answered the call.

"Shizune," Hiashi began. The voice on the receiving end recognised him immediately. "I'm sure you've heard the news," he continued. "In that respect, I have a job for you," A pause. "Tell your mistress to start manufacturing the bullets again…at least ten thousand…yes, I am aware that it will take a while, but we are likely to have ourselves a full-scale war on our hands…"

* * *

"This is ridiculous," Temari saw her brother scowl, as he tossed a bunch of files onto his desk. "Two people dead and not one single lead." He slumped into his chair and leaned back into the plush exterior.

His desk was situated opposite his sisters in their homey little office, where the blinds had been drawn closed, blocking out the afternoon sunshine of the following day. While Temari's desk was neatly organised as she had left it when she had finished up work a couple of nights ago, Kankuro's desk, in contrast, was a complete wreck. It was already stacked full of various papers and documents as clearly, he had already tried to get stuck in. A fan was spinning silently on the edge of the desk, in attempts to ease off the tremendous heat wave that the day had brought them.

"Well, think about it," Temari reached over and retrieved the documents, flipping them open. She had swept her hair up out of her face, but a few tresses had fallen loose. "Not many people walk around at night."

"But someone must have heard something," Kankuro continued. He removed his jacket and fashioned it on the back of his chair. The two top buttons of his shirt were undone. "Two men were shot."

"With a silencer, perhaps?" she proceeded to file through the papers

"Oh, someone knows something alright."

"Well, we've already tried speaking to the locals," Temari responded. "Nobody heard anything and we've already offered a cash reward for any useful information. If anything that should be incentive enough," The room fell silent temporarily save for Kankuro's exasperated exhale. She quickly changed the subject. "Are these the results…?"

"Of the autopsies? Yeah," her partner replied. "And some from forensics. I looked over them briefly, but from what I can see, they don't reveal very much."

"How so?" She skimmed over one of the documents quickly, acquiring any necessary information that the scientists had made a note of.

"I mean _nothing_," Kankuro pressed. "All the autopsies specified was that one was shot and the other died from severe haemorrhaging. We already knew that."

"They mention that their bodies revealed significant struggle…"

"Well, that's kinda obvious," Kankuro continued. "They were in a brawl after all."

"Hmm. What about forensics? Did they reveal anything about their identities?" Temari proceeded to scout through the pages. When the bodies had been searched on the night, they had not contained any solid identification. "We're gonna have to alert their families sooner rather than later."

"Apparently, that wasn't revealed either."

"What?" Temari's lifted her green hues from the page and peered over at her brother. His arms were folded and he possessed an almost pensive look on his face. She immediately, proceeded rifling through the documents in her hand. "That's not possible. Even without a physical form of identity, with hair follicles and fingerprints at their disposal…"

Kankuro shook his head. "This is what I've been trying to tell you," he continued. "There is _nothing_. I had someone run a fingerprint analysis already and they can't seem to detect any recent history. It's almost as if they never existed."

Temari ceased her scuffling and her thin blonde eyebrows creased. She knew as well as anyone else that people did not simply cease to exist. There were a number of possibilities, but the first thing that crept into her mind was that their victims were not Japanese citizens, meaning that they were not licensed to be in the country. She half wondered if they had not only a murder on their case, but also an illegal immigration affair. A possible trafficking situation could also, be an option.

"Face is, sis," Kankuro continued. "We haven't got much to go on."

"Everyone _exists_ somewhere, Kankuro."

"I know that…and you know that," the detective responded.

"What about the evidence from the scene?"

"They're still conducting tests on that," came the explanation. The brunette reached forwards and retrieved one of the documents on his desk. His eyes perused the contents quickly, before another irate sigh escaped his lips. "But honestly," He continued. "If those results reveal nothing as well then we're basically walking on empty. We need a lead. And we need it soon."

* * *

A set of skilful fingers graced the piano keys in perfect harmony, singing a story of sophisticated tragedy in A minor. Not a chord misplayed, nor a crescendo overlooked as the melody bellowed from the grand piano and into the lavish exterior undisturbed. The room was spectacular, dressed with morbid drapes and slate grey flooring. Several dozen candles were situated around the room, hanging from the walls in their well-crafted sconces – typically ancient in model. In turn, the room was given an almost subtle glow, ominous and yet cosy. No expenses had been spared as two large paintings acted as the room's centre, both of which were painted to incorporate the bodies of two illustrious snakes. Overall, it was a place rather befitting of its owner, who was peering through the curtains of a nearby window. His gaze cast out towards the river, whereby the residence was situated next to. Twilight had fallen a mere half-hour ago.

"How careless, ey Kabuto?" Orochimaru spoke, addressing the pianist. His body was leaned against the window, his left hand cupping his right elbow. In his right hand was a Bordeaux wineglass; the bowl was situated in his palm; the stem slid between his index and middle fingers. The thick red liquid swirled in his glass. "Hyuuga allowed his coven to fall before the lycan and now - " he paused, a small chuckle bubbling in the back of his throat. " - he's allowed both his daughters to slip through his fingertips." He could not disguise his amusement and the laugh that fell between his lips became a contemptuous snigger.

The music did not cease. "Well according to my sources," began the silver-haired vampire. His eyes expressed innate calmness through his round-rimmed glasses. "The bride was not slaughtered on the battlefield; she ran away of her own free will."

Orochimaru's smile did not vanish. "How unexpected," he continued. "I was under the impression that she was obedient. I guess it simply implies that Hyuuga is not as _in control_ as we had initially believed him to be." He lifted the glass to his lips and took a sip of the contents.

The vampire at the piano smirked knowingly as his fingers reached the middle eight of the melody; the tune temporarily switched between octaves. "What do you propose we do now then, Orochimaru-sama?" he queried. "Excluding the group searching for the bride, Hyuuga has placed his entire residence in isolation."

"We wait," was the response. The pasty-faced vampire adjusted his position at the window, drawing himself to the full of his height. On the riverbank, a stray jet boat had just sailed by. "The marriage was merely a simple ploy and you know that. Irrespective of whether the union occurs or otherwise, our plans have not changed." He paused. "I still want the Byakugan. The lycan have only served to make obtaining it even more difficult."

"The lycan are still our enemies as well."

"Indeed," came the reply. "And I expect that they will come. But with the Hyuuga at the forefront, I'm sure their main focus will lie with them. Other vampires may suffer losses, but it has always been the Hyuuga who have been the lycan's chief opponent. Hyuuga will have to lift his lockdown at some point or other and the lycan _will_ come. Hyuuga's defences will weaken and when that day comes, we will surely intervene."

It had been something he had been considering for the longest while now. A union between the Hyuuga and Oto Covens had been merely a cover-up, a façade overshadowing his truer intentions. For Orochimaru never entered into anything unless there was something to benefit he, himself at the end of it. The Hyuuga wanted to strengthen their allegiances. Via uniting with outsider covens, it would mean that their overall security was reinforced and that the territories associated with their allies also, became their own. Orochimaru had no intention of merely joining his already acquired territories with the Hyuuga, however. His objective was something beyond loyalties because he held none, but for himself.

"What about Sasuke-kun and the others?" Kabuto queried again. He implied the name with a subtle malice that made Orochimaru's smile intensify. He was well aware of his silver-haired associate's dislike for his protégé.

The Oto leader motioned away from his stance at the window, the repetitive scenery boring him somewhat. "Sasuke-kun is away right now, but it is believed that he is unaware. That is the way I would like it to stay," He explained as the melody reached it final segment. "When the time comes however, I will …"

The glass behind him shattered vigorously, shards flying in all directions and skidding across the faux-marble flooring to a halt. Kabuto had long since ceased playing his music and had risen to an abrupt stand, while Orochimaru tilted his gaze towards the window and watched as the metallic grappling hook, clenched onto the windowsill and hooked in place. Mere moments later, a dark figure sailed in through the window and landed with refined precision. One by one, the windows in the room shattered and more metal claws breeched the household and gave way to more intruders, each one surrounding the coven leader and his second in an instant.

At the same time, the grand doors of the drawing room burst open suddenly and granted access to several more cloaked individuals, their faces obscured their thick black hoods. In one's grasp was one of the Oto coven members, a pink-haired girl who was yelling obscenities. Both her arms were pinned behind her back, sealed in place with one of the hands of the intruders. She was immediately thrown to the floor on her front, but before she could even turn around or scramble to her feet, a wooden staff was planted through her back. No scream erupted, but her face was a picture of anguish as her apprehender twisted the staff in place to seal her fate. Her body slumped forwards, defeated, and the blood leaked from her wound and the corners of her lips; her eyes were still open. In triumph, the hooded figure, sunk his boot into her back and retrieved the stake as if she were nothing more then a piece of meat.

Orochimaru's smile had long-since vanished and yet he appeared unruffled. "I suppose I should have expected you would come eventually," he could not hide his amusement as he addressed the head of the group; this one stood out from all the others. His air was different. "What is it you want?"

The individual removed their hood and revealed themselves. "The Byakugan." On cue, all the other intruders in the room, proceeded to remove various weapons from their person. Kabuto glanced at them cautiously, but Orochimaru did not remove his gaze from the trespasser centrepiece.

"Very well," Orochimaru placed the half empty glass onto the top of the piano. The intruders moved towards them. "Have it your way."

Bloodshed tarnished the walls that night.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Not many reviews for the previous chapters, but I know that I've acquired a few people through Fanfic Alerts. Based on that, I've decided to continue to write and also, because I really like this story and have it virtually planned out anyway. So, hurray; next chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter Five**

He had adorned his best robes, attired copiously and dignified; his tresses were long and vibrant, his skin smooth and yet pale. One might have been under the impression that he was headed out for an evening, a dinner amongst nobles or some other lavish event. But the garments were a tribute, laden with respect and honour. For very much like the festival of the dead that their human counterparts took part in, Hyuuga Hiashi had made that day sacred. For it was the ninety-forth anniversary of his wife's demise and he intended to pay his respects.

Her final resting place residing in the Hyuuga manor crypt, he left his quarters and meandered gracefully along the upstairs corridor. He was grateful for the silence, even though he knew that it was false and would clearly be short-lived. The times of concordance had officially vanished. One of his daughter's was dead and the other had fled without a trace. The returning unit that he had allowed to breech the lockdown the previous evening, had returned with no luck or no lead as to her whereabouts, but rather than sport any grief, Hiashi had been merely furious. Her disappearance was a hindrance – one that he did not need coupled with the arrival of the lycan menace. But though these things were occurring all around him, he had decided to maintain decorum and routine. A few minutes spent with his deceased wife before he was forced to return to the matters at hand.

Ever since her demise, Hiashi had not lane with anyone else. He had always been something of a stern character, so it had struck his elders unusual that he might select such a compassionate woman for his bride. She had been obedient just as most of the ancestral Hyuuga line had once preferred their wives. Nevertheless, there had been something about her – some hidden potential – hidden behind her warm smile. She had been unlike anyone, but hardly one to spare even the slightest hint of weakness, it had been unfortunate that in their time together he had never once told her he had loved her. Needless to say, she had never enquired on the matter, but the years spent without her had permitted regret to surface. This was why he attempted to keep this day – of all days – somewhat sacred, even without the presence of his two daughters. He could only imagine what she might have done however, had she been alive.

The sleeves of his robes large, he cupped his hands together beneath them so that both were obscured from view. There, he drew himself to the full of his height and walked with a dignified poise that he had learned from his father before him. Approaching the stairway, as soon as he'd reached the top, he began his descent. His footsteps were light against the velvet carpet and not a creak was reverberated, a complete contrast to the age of the building. As he entered into the downstairs hallways, a Hyuuga Branch member stopped in his tracks and lowered his head respectfully as the vampire leader progressed on by. As was customary for his usual hauteur, he did not spare the individual with even a glance and merely progressed, sliding into the adjoining corridor and advancing onto the West Wing. He did not stop for anyone until he arrived at his target location – the ordinary door that seemed to stand alone in the corridor, blending in and yet housing a secret. Removing a hand from his sleeve, he reached out and grasped the doorknob, turning it to grant him access.

Descending yet again along the stair tower, Hiashi entered into the lower level corridor and proceeded along the silver hallway, the torches lighting up the vicinity as he motioned. At the end were those infamous grand doors, the designs of many years past etched into the surface including the gap where the mirror image of the Hyuuga insignia would grant him access. He dove a hand into his robes and retrieved his own pendant from beneath his garments, removing it up and over his head. Before, he could gain access, however, his ears alerted him to the hastily travelling footsteps that were spiralling towards him. He tilted his body in the direction of the sound, his facial expression indifferent as he attempted to decipher whom the individual was. However, the presence of the intruder in question, soon fell into fruition as the form of yet another Branch member entered into the silver hallway. Hiashi's eyes narrowed at the individual. Branch members were rarely seen in the lower levels due to the fact that they had no access beyond the doors.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hiashi's voice was a formal hiss.

The intruder rushed towards the coven leader, lowering himself as he drew closer before he had fully prostrated himself before the elder Hyuuga. "Forgive me, Hiashi-sama," the man spoke; he had propped himself up on one knee to indicate the severity of his apology. "I know that it is not my place to be down here unescorted as well as during such a sacred time, but we have just received some important news from your messengers on the outside."

Hiashi exhaled. Over the years, he had adorned a few alliances – individuals who had sworn allegiance to him as he had done them – none of them, however, were as effective as the spies he had appointed personally to be his eyes and ears outside of the Hyuuga manor. He had not heard from them in quite some time, but it seemed as if their activity as of recent, was becoming frequent once again. "Stand and proceed." He stated and in response, the Branch member drew himself to the full of his height. He was a little shorter than Hiashi, nevertheless, and he maintained his line of vision elsewhere, very much knowing his place, averse to meeting the elder's eye contact.

"The lycans have sent word that they have two Main family members in captivity; it is suspected that they are Hanabi-sama and Hinata-sama," the lesser Hyuuga began. For a brief moment, Hiashi's face demonstrated a flicker of disbelief: for not one, but both his daughters were still alive.

From what his nephew had stated, Hanabi's death had seemed prominent. She had disappeared amongst a bout of transformed lycans. Surely she would not have survived that and yet she was alive – they had kept her alive. And then there was Hinata. His face became a scowl at the thought. For Hinata had ran away. There was no chance that the lycan could have entered the manor undetected; that was for certain. But she had run away, right into the arms of their enemy. He could feel the indignity of it welling up inside him. He half wondered what she had been thinking and how she could have allowed herself to fall prisoners. But then of course, Hinata did not possess Hanabi's street smarts, nor did she possess Neji's common sense or even her friend, Tenten's strength. Hinata, as a novice to the world of war, would have been easy pickings for the lycanthrope. And yet they had kept _her_ alive as well.

The branch member continued. "They are proposing a negotiation." The previous disbelief soon became contempt. For now, he could see what they were attempting and he did not like it. They wanted to see if he possessed weakness. They wanted to see if he would bend on one knee to their demands simply for the lives of his daughters. But Hiashi's pride was too great and the lycan were nothing more than scum to him. It may have been heartless of him not to conform, but the more he thought about it, the more the idea infuriated him. For he wondered about what might happened if he did not conform. Surely he'd be subjecting his daughters to death. For if he disregarded the negotiation, he was certain that the lycan would not need either female and would dispose of them both; he imagined that his late wife would turn in her grave if that was the case. At the same time, nonetheless, they _were_ alive – Hanabi and Hinata together. And even though Hinata was vulnerable, Hanabi was strong. He doubted she would merely submit to her incarceration. He suspected that she would be formulating an escape plan – an escape for them both potentially.

"Hiashi-sama," the voice of the inferior Hyuuga member withdrew him from his thoughts. He glanced up at the averted gaze of the vampire. "What do you propose?"

Hiashi's facial features contorted into his familiar indifference. "We will do nothing," he responded. He noticed the face of his addressee warp into a brief shock, but he quickly regained his composure, obviously keen to conceal his personal opinion from view. Hiashi did not acknowledge it. "I refuse to negotiate with _animals_." The pendant still in his hand, he fingered the emblem. "So we will not send any word out." A pause. "But we will assemble a unit to locate their whereabouts. Have Neji meet with me an hour." He then turned his back on the other and held the pendent up against the seal. "Now leave me." The Branch member did so without a word, his footsteps quick as he travelled in the opposite direction and back towards the stairwell. Simultaneously, the grand doors of the basement fell open and the coven leader bypassed into the next room.

The room contained so much history - the family insignia imprinted on the floor, the stone coffin situated in the centre and the two doors that were situated on opposite sides – but as he motioned to the left, his thoughts were a whirr. He understood the risks of his choice. If the lycan did not receive word, then his daughters would surely perish. If the unit that he planned to assemble did not locate them in time, they would surely perish. But by providing the lycan with no notice at all would mean that they still had time; he was not sure of the time limit, but it was still something. Because he would not allow the lowly lycan to gain the upper hand. It was beneath him. Therefore, he would simply trust in the competence of his coven, of the Hyuuga, and stand firm that they would bring them back. Because after all, they were alive. That was incentive enough. Underneath his resolute exterior, nevertheless, he could not help but wonder that his wife would most likely have disagreed.

Pendant pressed against the seal of the mahogany door, the door granted him access and he stepped into the darkness. Almost immediately, the room proceeded to light up, creating an almost earthy tone as he closed the door behind him. He drew in every ounce of the interior – the velvet rug, the incense situated on an adjoining pedestal. He had selected everything for that room, including the stonework coffin that he had had fashioned in his wife's honour. He took the moment to bow before it – even since his ascension to coven leader, he had never done so to anyone – before striding towards the pedestal via which the incense and holders were situated. He noticed that there was a holder on the floor with three incense sticks at the foot of the coffin that had long since burned away into mere ash. He suspected that other family members had also, been to pay their respects. When the Hyuuga had resided elsewhere, his father before him had made such events more public, ensuring that all members were present together to pay their respects. As Hiashi was a private character, he had disposed of that ritual. He would spend his time with his wife alone.

In her honour, he continued the custom, lighting four incense sticks and placing two each into two holders. He then positioned them on the floor – one to the right and the other to the left – before prostrating himself before it and praying in her honour. He found that he spent longer than anyone else, often losing track of time, but eventually, he completed his prayers before rising before the coffin once again. His eyes lingered at the contents along the stone surface – the memories of his wife and the things that had been most dear to her. So that they had given some form of aid in the decoration of their mother's shrine, Hiashi had had his daughters arranged them accordingly; they had remained thus for many decades. He focused on each item individually, retaining one memory associated with each, until he stopped. Because something was missing. Something important. And once again, Hiashi's stoic demeanour was perturbed as his eyes widened in horror.

* * *

She stirred. And when her eyes flickered open, all that she could perceive at first was darkness. Gradually, her vision steadied into focus and soon she was able to decipher shapes. Her head was lolled to the side and she did not move at first; it was almost as if she had temporarily forgotten how. In the meantime, she allowed herself to simply remain there, peering at what seemed to be the uneven terrain that was situated beneath her. Eventually, her vision ceased to be her only indicator and she was able to tactilely perceive. Her face felt cold, a complete contrast to the rest of her body, which was still wrapped up inside the cloak she had adorned the previous night. Slowly, the memories proceeded to return to her - the carnage from the battle, the potent stench of blood, her father's harsh words, and the drive that Tenten had generated in her. And then the Full Moon night club and the lycan that had cornered her. Her head snapped up at the sudden recollection of it all, before she was shortly greeted by a sharp twinge that had crept along her neck. She hunched her shoulders and cringed, as her body forced her head back into a more pain alleviating position. The sudden movement, however, drew a clinking noise to her ears and when she glanced down at herself next, she noticed the thick black clasps that were cuffed around both her wrists. Both were connected to two adjoining chains, which drew a course to the wall behind her. It was here that she realised. The lycans had clearly done something to her – she remembered nothing past the confrontation - and the likelihood of it all was that they had brought her here.

She exhaled in a panic, her eyes glancing nervously in front of her. The chamber with which they had placed her in resembled a dungeon. It was dark and dank and there were no windows present; the walls were made of a harsh stone texture and a series of leaks were visible in the corners; liquid that looked as black as coal was sailing along the interior. The room also, smelt damp and as her eyes became progressively accustomed to the darkness, Hinata was eventually able to make out the only door in the room that was situated ahead of her; as there were no holes to see beyond it, she drew upon the conclusion that she was sealed in. Tugging on the chains, she leaned forwards a little and came to find that they did not allow her to move more than an inch from her current seated position. Huffing silently, she fell back against the wall, her body now truly aware of its surroundings. She was alive – that was for certain – but she wondered for how long.

"So, you're awake?" came the voice.

Hinata started on the spot, her sensitive ears picking up on the echo. When she glanced around the chamber again, nonetheless, she found herself able to decipher the outline of another whom she had overlooked during her adjusting process. The person was small in stature and had adorned a more casual stance up against the adjacent wall. One of their legs was propped upright an arm was cuddling it somewhat protectively, while a pair of familiar crystal hues glanced at her, indifferently. Hinata's own eyes widened in realisation.

"H…Hanabi?" she wanted to hug her. A sense of bona fide relief washed over her, one even greater than the one she had felt when the lycan had told her of her sister's livelihood. In a sense, she supposed they could have lied to her, but they hadn't. They had been telling the truth. Hanabi was alive and for that she was grateful.

Her sister did not seem to share the same delight that she did nevertheless; her pale hues were seemingly glaring at her, although her face did not dictate so. Needless to say, Hinata felt herself shrink under her gaze – a gaze that so very much resembled their father's. She exhaled quietly, choosing her words. "I'm glad…you're alright." She spoke genuinely.

This time, Hanabi did glare at her, but she quickly turned her head away from her older sibling, showing Hinata her profile. From it, she noticed that Hanabi's hair had long since come loose, albeit she had managed to fashion it over her ears. A few stray strands had fallen out of place, however, including one that was seemingly stuck to her brow. When Hinata observed again, she noticed the concrete wound in Hanabi's forehead. She could not disclose her gasp. "You're injured…"

"How did it happen?" Hanabi interrupted. Hinata recoiled slightly at her sister's abruptness. Even though she was at the very least, a decade older than her, it seemed as if the younger Hyuuga had outgrown her, surpassing her in not only strength, but in maturity as well. It was almost as if she had _become_ their father.

She glanced down at her legs. Judging by her tone, it seemed as if Hanabi had already drawn upon her own conclusions as to how Hinata had come to be there. In turn, she debated with herself internally, wondering if she should tell her the truth or not. In the end her conscious spoke for her. "…They…they found me…" she began. "Outside a…a club…"

"A club?" Hanabi's head swivelled towards her, confusion wrinkling her features.

"…I…went looking for them," continued the older sibling.

"What?"

"But I did it to…"

"What were you thinking, Hinata?" Again, she showed her older sister her profile, seemingly unable to look at her.

Hinata's hands found one another again. She lowered her head. "I'm sorry."

"This is not a game," Hanabi persisted. Her tone had reduced from its former alarm to a neutral chastise. "If you thought by some fluke that you could…" she stopped and shook her head in disappointment. "If you thought that by offering yourself for me…" she withdrew from her statement again. It seemed as if the reality of it hadn't sunk in. Eventually she continued, her tone rising in both haste and resentment. "Listen…whatever you were attempting was a mistake. These lycan are dangerous. They can't be trusted and negotiating with them is out of the question. Their kind killed our mother for crying out loud…and Hizashi-jisan…they killed him too." She inhaled, pressing her head into the wall behind her; her eyes were cast up at the ceiling. It seemed as if she was attempting to maintain some decorum. She exhaled. "You've been kept in the dark for way too long. I think it's time you faced the reality."

Hanabi did not move her gaze from the ceiling as silence befell the room. The only sounds that one might have been able to decipher were the watery contents dripping a course along the opposite side of the wall. Hinata said nothing, averting her eyes from her sister and glancing at her fingertips, which were fiddling with one another. It had been hard to stomach at first. It was very rare if at all that Hanabi rebuked her. Usually, the two sister's had shared a mutual understanding, but their relationship had been very much similar to the relationships they had with their father – formal and somewhat taut. They were two very different people after all. The more she considered the situation, nevertheless, the more her previous determination continued to plummet. Her cause, her goal – it seemed so very far away now. So maybe Hanabi was right. Maybe it had all been a big mistake. She should have never left the mansion.

The sound of a bolt shifting and the wrenching on steel soon acquired the awareness of both girls. Hinata lifted her head and peered forward cautiously as the door ahead of her creaked open. A small trail of artificial light entered into the room towards her; the light in the corridor outside was a fairly dim orange glow. In its place, however, two silhouettes motioned into the room. Hinata determined that one possessed an array of spiky tresses, while the other was much larger in size; neither, she realised, had been among the group of lycan that had surrounded her behind the nightclub. Nervously, she glanced at her sister who was currently sporting them with a scowl. Both seemed disinterested in her, however, and such became apparent when the larger of the two characters motioned in front of her; Hinata glanced up at him, his shadow looming over her like an ominous blanket.

The other remained casually in the doorway, while the larger lycan bent down in front of her. She held her breath and averted her eyes, both out of fear and of uncertainty at what his intentions were. She hadn't noticed it until now, but her heart rate had skyrocketed.

"You're coming with us," spoke the lycan and when Hinata glanced next, she noticed that there was a large key situated in his meaty hands. He wasted no time, cupping her wrist, where he sunk the key into a hole in the clasp; Hinata had not noticed it until now. Turning it, she felt the metal slip from her wrist, before he repeated the same notion with her other clasp; she noticed that his handling was neither rough nor gentle. Now fully free of the manacles, the lycan rose, grasping her arm and heaving her to a stand also. He urged her forwards towards the entrance and the second lycan proceeded to back into the corridor. As Hinata complied and set her feet in motion, she glanced towards her sister, apprehension drawn on her face. Hanabi's blues followed her as she departed, before she shook her head once again. Hiinata bit her lip as she was ushered into the corridor. She wondered what the lycan had in store for her - for both of them.

* * *

A pair of coffee-coloured eyes glanced in the direction of the doorway as the door screeched open and three characters filed into the room in an almost military precision. They watched as two of characters dictated to the third to seat themselves in the only chair that was situated in the centre of the room - a small wooden contraption that was old, tattered and clearly uncomfortable. From above, a single bulb and metallic lampshade reflecting light onto the chair in question. The rest of the room was virtually dark, the far solid walls and corners fixed with darkness. No sooner had the captive been seated was no sooner that the two others departed, striding towards the open door and disappearing through it. The same eyes watched as the door grinded to a close, leaving the vampire at their whim. The eyes glanced back towards the centrepiece and they noticed her squint in the lighting. It had been a technique that his partner for the evening had devised, both for interrogatory purposes and in knowing that their detainees were hardly fond of light. Eventually, however, her eyes soon peered into the beyond, directly at them and any discomfort she might have suffered before seemed to intensify.

It was the small jingle from the opposite side of the room that caused her to stiffen, nevertheless, as a pair of casual footsteps seemed to step out of the shadows from behind her. The vampire tilted her head uneasily behind her as the additional being approached and settled behind her. Sai, ever prominent smile on his face, leaned in towards her, a pair of handcuffs jangling in one hand, while a small key was situated in the other. "This will be uncomfortable," he spoke as he took a hold of her hands and proceeded to cuff them just as they had done so earlier in the holding facility. He intertwined the cuffs between the gaps in the back of the chair, before securing them around her wrists. The vampire averted her eyes elsewhere, seemingly complying.

"Shall we begin…Kiba?" Sai glanced towards the same brown eyes in knowing before he rose from his hunched position behind the captive. At the same time, the advocate of those chocolate-covered orbs stepped forwards. The vampiress peered up at him. Though her eyes were pupiless, he watched as she systematically shrunk into her chair.

"Ever found yourself in a situation like this, vampire?" he asked her. His arms were folded over his chest; his stride was somewhat cool and confident. He stopped in front of her nevertheless, which caused her to react. She spoke nothing, but shook her head quickly, shifting her gaze from him to elsewhere.

"Nah, I didn't think so either," Kiba continued. "Bet you're some pampered priss." She lowered her gaze at his remark, her head following suit. He gained a little satisfaction out of the idea that he was getting to her, but he could not shake the anticipation that in comparison to her sister, she would be easier to deal with – easier to frighten into submission. He had not been present during her interrogation, but Chouji had and from what he had witnessed, the other vampire had held her own. In contrast, this vampire, however, appeared to be something of a weaker variant. She had already allowed herself to succumb to them at the club and had not been able to shoot him at point blank. Something just didn't add up about this particular vampire. It made him even more highly suspicious of her.

"Hyuuga Main Family, correct?" Sai's voice brought him out of his temporary lapse into thought and also, caused the vampiress to lift her head in revelation.

Kiba proceeded to circle her and Sai followed suit. Their method was to create an isolated enclosure. "That's right, vampire," continued the brown-eyed lycan. "We know all about you and your _coven_."

"You are divided," Sai spoke as he strode in front of her. His hands were fashioned behind his back, his expression neutral for once.

"I bet they value to quite a bit, huh?" Kiba then interjected, as the circular motion continued, the two lycan like sharks out of water. "No doubt they'd want to see you alive." When he swept in front of her, however, and gained a look at her face, the previous astonishment had been replaced with something that confused the werewolf considerably. For instead of shock or even fear, there appeared to be sadness. Kiba screwed up his face in both disgust and confusion; it did not deter him from the task he had been set.

Sai's voice broke the temporary silence "If you comply, things will run smoothly,"

"But if you don't…" Kiba stopped at the side of her and arched his back forwards so that his face was a mere few inches away from her ear. "I can't promise you'll leave here in one piece. Understand?"

The vampire flinched. She dared not to glance sideward at him however; eventually, she nodded slowly.

Kiba rose from his arched position and continued. "So, vampire, tell us about the Byakugan."

She did not respond straight away. "The…the what?"

"Don't play dumb with me," snapped Kiba. "The _Byakugan_!" he emphasised.

"It resides within your coven." Sai's neutral tone surfaced in pursuit, but neither seemed to deter the vampiress from her supposed unawareness.

She shook her head, nervously. "I…I don't know…I…"

"Your lies won't wash with me." Kiba interrupted loudly, causing the captive to shrink back into her chair and close her mouth.

"I suggest you conform…Kiba is not known for his patience,"

"But…the Byakugan… I've never heard of…I don't know what you're talki…"

"LIAR!" The word emerged in the form of a growl causing the vampire to jolt in her chair. Kiba's eyes had altered from their usual brown to their renovated yellow, having stopped in front of her now, unmoving as he peered down at her. She attempted to disappear beneath her tresses, but seemingly could not avert her eyes from his.

Sai folded his arms and fingered his chin. "I find it most disbelieving that a Hyuuga member would be unaware of a family artefact."

The brunette exhaled. "That's because she's _lying_!" He reached out a partially transformed hand and cupped a handful of her garments; his sharp nails sunk into the materials and through into the clothing beneath. "Tell us where it is!" he then demanded, wrenching her towards him, closing the proximity to very dangerous proportions.

The vampire's eyes were wide, her lips trembling. "But I don't know…!"

"NOW!" Kiba's voice echoed inside the room, the yellow of his eyes deepening with his anger.

The vampire burst into panic, her voice an octave higher, sporting desperation. "I'm sorry!" She yelped. "…but I don't know anything…I swear…I wishIcouldhelpyou but…"

He raised his other moderately developing claw and the vampiress squealed in realisation, tilting her head away and squinting her eyes shut tight. The corners of her eyes were prickled with tears. Before he could advance, however, Sai's shadow settled next to him. He glanced up at the pale-faced lycan, who peered down at him in seriousness. He shook his head before jerking it in the direction of the far wall in gesture for Kiba to follow. In the meantime, Kiba glanced back towards the vampire and saw that though she had ceased her protective squinting measure, she was still hunched in his grasp, unease obtained potentially due to his claw, which was still hovering dangerously in the air.

He dropped his hand and released her clothing, exhaling deeply, the yellow retreating from his eyes. He hadn't realised how worked up he'd gotten himself until he rose to a stand and proceeded to join Sai at the other side of the room. He couldn't remember how long he'd been hunting these vampires, while attempting to keep the lycanthrope uprising a secret: where there had been times when they had been so close and yet so far away. He supposed he was becoming tired of it all. Keen to make them all suffer the way that they had made the lycans suffer. In order to do that, nevertheless, there were necessary steps to take. And though Kiba would have liked nothing more than to assume Naruto's logic and fight them claw for claw, he understood the difference between a carefully planned strategy and a suicide mission.

Kiba lowered his voice as he addressed his fellow lycan. "I thought she'd be easier to deal with, but she's difficult alright," he began. He folded his arms. Both their backs were turned towards her.

"I'm not so sure," Sai stated. It caused Kiba to cock an eyebrow. "You see, I was present during the interrogation of the other prisoner. I did not interact with her, but I witnessed firsthand how _truly_ challenging she was." He paused. "I am unsure as to whether the others were aware of it, but I could sense her murderous intent. I don't doubt that she would kill us all with no remorse. This situation, however…" He trailed off as he glanced momentarily over his shoulder towards the vampire. When Kiba followed suit, he took note that she was panting lightly, her eyes cast at the floor. She may have been a grown female, but she possessed the dispositions of a child. Kiba's brows furrowed. In previous encounters, she had been the same. No seeming desire to kill or defend herself. He still doubted her - uncertain as to whether this was all an act. But judging from Sai's words, one thing was for certain. He could not sense the murderous intent that had been so fervent in the other. Because just like before, the only thing he could sense was fear.

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I apologise for the delay folks. It's been something of a busy month - sorting out money issues, property issues and starting Jury Service. I hope this chapter will at least make up for the lateness. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

As the cold steel gates opened to grant them access, they approached the manor in haste, their footsteps quick along the solid black tarmac. Though it was still relatively dark outside, it would be a mere hour or so before sunrise, which made one of their members slightly uneasy. This member attempted to maintain the pace alongside her colleagues, albeit it was clear from the avid clinking of her boots that she was in a hurry. She, like the rest of them, had never seen daylight and did not intend to let the sun end her existence, even if it was not due to rise for some time. Simultaneously, nevertheless, she wished to maintain some decorum in the presence of her superior, as well as not allowing her other collaborator to overshadow her. Needless to say, the very same character was glancing in her direction, a smug look evident on his chiselled features. The glint in his sea-blue eyes gave her incentive to speak.

"What are you smirking at, fish-face?" she barked at him.

He sniggered broadly, revealing a perfect set of pointed teeth, two of which were longer and much sharper than the others. "Nothing really" he grinned. "I was just thinking, you know, the sun might do you some good. You're looking a bit…" He made a gesture with his hand. "_Haggard_."

The female clenched her fists and glared at him, a vein flickering dangerously in her temple. Her face proceeded to turn a beetroot red as she opened her mouth to retaliate.

"Restrain yourself," came the voice of their leader and the steam filing out of the female's ears proceeded to ease. "Remember where you are."

She exhaled deeply, desperate to chastise the proclaimed "fish-face"; she knew, nonetheless, that doing so would merely upset her superior and make herself look bad. Therefore, she turned her head away from the other and peered forwards, just as they progressed up the steps towards the household. No sooner had their footsteps touched upon level ground was no sooner that the tall majestic doors of the manor were opened from the inside. It was almost a repeat of how it had been during their last encounter, but instead, there was no family assemblage to greet them. In contrast, one solitary vampire with long, dark hair stood in the foyer and lowered her head respectfully. The two whom had granted them access, remained at their perches adjacent to the doors and followed suit.

"Sasuke-sama, Suigetsu-san, Karin-san," The lone vampire rose from her motion of respect. "Hiashi-sama is aware of your arrival. Please - follow me this way." The Hyuuga – clearly of the Branch domain - did not beckon, but mere began a slow stride in a designated direction. Their three guests shadowed her, as the two remaining Branch members proceeded to draw the doors to a close behind them.

They manoeuvred in silence, entering into the corridor in single file. Sasuke remained indifferent to his surroundings, while his other two accomplices proceeded to scrutinise them instead. Eventually, the Branch member stopped before a door and granted them access into a room via which they had not come across during their last visit. The room possessed something of a homey feel. A fireplace was situated in the far corner; its mantelpiece was decorated with various items that probably held no place in the current era, but may have perhaps possessed some sentimental value. All three vampires were well aware of Hiashi's mannerisms however. A couple of Belter-Rosalie armchairs were situated neatly around an oak-crafted table, all of which looked neatly polished and virtually untouched. A couple of unrecognisable paintings were hung on the wall and a large rug was situated underneath it all as if to express character.

The Branch Hyuuga meandered across the room towards the windows and proceeded to close the curtains, perhaps in anticipation of the approaching sunrise. She did the same with the second window before striding towards the entrance. She turned to face them all, lowering her head once again. "Hiashi-sama will join you shortly," she then added before departing from the room.

In the meantime, the three members virtually made themselves at home as they would have liked. Suigetsu settled himself into one of the chairs; he nearly managed to prop his feet up on the table, until Karin reprimanded him about his manners. Sasuke fashioned himself nearby one of the windows. He parted the curtains with his fingers and peered outside. The skies still depicted twilight, but there was a tiny blue tint now, in comparison to before. He removed his fingers and permitted the gap in the curtains to close as soon as he sensed the presence in the doorway.

"I was a little surprised to hear that you'd arrived and before sunrise no less," Hiashi's calm tenor surfaced as he ushered himself into the parlour. Behind him, followed his brown-haired nephew and the non-Hyuuga female. She closed the door behind them, sealing the six of them inside and away from external ears. "What brings you here?" queried the coven leader.

Sasuke turned to face them. "Orochimaru is dead," he stated calmly. He saw Hiashi's face tightened somewhat in realisation. Presumably, he had not been expecting such an announcement, but his gaze soon slanted towards the lower left as if he were truly digesting the words. Sasuke continued. "He was slain by lycans and in our place of residence no less, which means the Oto manor is as of now, virtually unsafe." He paused. "Therefore, we have come here with a proposition. We propose an early alliance."

Hiashi crossed the room in silence, eventually settling adjacent to the mantelpiece. He positioned a hand on the granite-textured tiles; his brows furrowed.

"When the lycan attacked, our numbers dwindled significantly," Karin's voice concluded the silence.

Suigetsu continued after her, rising from his seated position. "Whatever it is they want, they seem pretty desperate to get it, but I doubt their messing around this time; they've got quite a following."

Hiashi tilted his head to the side, showing Sasuke his profile. "You are aware that they have my daughters," It was difficult to dictate whether the remark had been said in the form of a question or a statement.

"Then we'll bring them back," the silver-haired vampire interjected; his voice possessed a self-assured tone.

"Things will not be so simple," stated the coven leader.

"I agree," Sasuke spoke.

"Maybe so, but I'm sure with the combined strength of both our covens…"

Sasuke shot his associate a look. His face remained indifferent, but it was enough that the marine-hued vampire ceased his tongue - however reluctant. A small silence befell the room once again.

"Hiashi-sama." Up until now, the Hyuuga leader's nephew had kept quiet. "Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but I think creating a allegiance would be beneficial to both our covens, even without Hinata's hand in marriage." Stationed next to Suigetsu near the opposite side of the room, Karin twitched. "Especially in such dire times."

Hiashi removed his hand from the mantel. "Very well," he eventually stated. He turned to face the masses. "It is nearly sunrise so we will discuss things more tomorrow evening. For now, Tenten," he addressed the only other female with the coffee-coloured buns. "Please have one of the others escort ours guests to any spare quarters."

As there were Branch family members all over the household, closing up curtains and preparing for the approaching morning, locating one was not difficult. When they had filed out of the parlour, Tenten had handed the three vampires over to one such member before bidding them a good slumber. Once again, the three travelled in silence, following the Branch member up the stairs and towards the left towards the spare quarters. Karin was given her own room, much to her chagrin, while the two males were escorted into a large and lavish interior that possessed two large double beds. The basic design was more simplistic than the parlour they had just arrived from, but still rich in both prosperity and deepness of colour. Sasuke would never comment, but he preferred such things. He, nor his accomplice, did not speak, however, until the Branch Hyuuga had disappeared from the room, closing the door behind her.

"You gotta admit," Suigetsu's voice cut through the silence. He had bounded onto his mattress, with his boots still on, arms relaxed casually behind his head. "These Hyuuga know how to cater. A guy could get used to this."

Sasuke situated himself on the opposite bed and proceeded to take off his own boots, setting them up neatly by his bedside. He disregarded his associate's previous statement. "I will make a suggestion to Hiashi tomorrow and we will most likely attempt a hit on a lycan stronghold," he explained.

"It's always business with you, isn't it?" Suigetsu scoffed. "When are you gonna chill out for once? Put your feet up. Bag yourself a human chick; taste her perhaps…"

He did not gain a response straight away. "Humans are problematic," came the eventual reply; he proceeded to remove the cloak from his shoulders. "Especially considering the lycan cater to them."

Suigetsu rolled his eyes. "Yeah, so what're you getting at?"

He showed the pale-haired character his profile. "I'm saying that keeping them in the dark about our existence may no longer be an option for us."

* * *

He sunk the nail of his thumb in between his teeth. His left arm was folded across his torso, right elbow rested on his hooked wrist; his eyes were focused on nothing particular, but one might have been able to tell that his mind was plagued with various thoughts and concerns. He had always been a character renowned for his intellect. After all, it was the latter that had been able to bring the lycans he had assembled from the four corners, and it was the latter that was working overtime to strategically plan for their future. Naturally, of course, there were always plateaus – obstacles that would stand in the way of progress – and again, even though he possessed the support of other lycans, his own mindset had permitted him a subtle insistence to overcome them.

Currently, his gaze was cast out across the horizon, through a narrow window that had been pre-assembled along with their current base; sunrise was upon them and the skies were adorning an interchanging contrast consisting of the purples and indigos associated with nightfall, and the reds and oranges found during sunrise and sunset transcendence. The locale had once served as an underground ravine used by criminals in earlier decades to hoard items that they'd rather the law not acquire. It had long since been disbanded, however, when the law had gotten wind of the vicinity, and eventually, the tides had fallen in so far that the river entrance had been lost. That was not to say that the docks had not permitted another entrance; it had been pure luck that he had stumbled upon it. It was not a cushy domain, very much resembling the warehouse in that respect. It contained things that were necessary without any of the luxuries. It was a safe house and a place of operations all meshed into one and it had remained their secret for several years.

Footsteps were decipherable into the outdoor corridors, but Shikamaru did not turn his gaze away from the window; he removed his nail from his mouth and folded his arms. The door to the chambers had been left ajar in anticipation at their arrival and it was within moments that several of his lieutenants filed into the room. Their chatter had been somewhat animated in the hallway, but as soon as they had crossed into the room, the voices proceeded to narrow in volume.

"Anything?" Though Shikamaru's voice was its standard volume, it reached the ears of everybody within the room.

It was Sakura who responded somewhat solemnly. "No, nothing at all."

"Three nights and not a word," Naruto groaned. There were a couple of stray chairs within the room and he drew one across the floor and situated himself on it. "No one would talk." The blond seemed annoyed at the situation.

Kiba sniggered at his associate's irritation.

"Well, I'm not surprised," Konohamaru piped up. He too seemed fractious. "We didn't exactly _confront_ anybody."

"What?" Kiba sang in disbelief. "You mean…?" He glanced from the blond towards his brown-haired subordinate. While Naruto didn't meet his gaze, Konohamaru shook his head, which caused Kiba to laugh. "Did you honestly think they would talk without a little _necessary persuasion_?"

"Yeah, well, it was Sakura's idea; she…" The younger lycan immediately trailed off when the female shot him an ominous glare. She had been mere nanoseconds from opening her mouth to retaliate, but found a way to reduce her smouldering anger to a simmering calm.

"I realise that it was necessary, but this is the last time I'll work with you, Konohamaru," a vein was pulsating dangerously in her temple.

The addressed lycan groaned.

Sakura's calm detonated. "Well maybe it you actually took orders!" she snapped.

"Regardless, it was necessary; it was a stealth mission after all," Shikamaru interjected, halting the approaching argument and drawing the attentions of the others back to himself. (Konohamaru muttered something along the lines of "I'll show you," under his breath, but the remark was disregarded or inaudible). Needless to say, the tactical lycan had yet to glance away from the window. He continued. "For now, I'd prefer the least amount of bloodshed possible. It makes us appear less desperate."

"But aren't we?" Sai had remained quiet, somewhat hidden in the partial shadows of the chamber. By now, two streams of sunlight were peering through the only windows in the room.

"Not quite," came the response. "I wanted to test the vampires, to see how much they value their own kind, but I can only conclude that they have yet to make a decision or that they don't value their own in the slightest."

"It wouldn't surprise me," scoffed Kiba. He located a space up against the wall and propped himself up casually against it. He sunk his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Shikamaru was aware of Kiba's pre-conceived ideas about the vampires. He supposed that in his own way, Shikamaru possessed them too. In fact many lycans had them, whether they had actual first-hand experience against the opposition or otherwise. Regardless, Shikamaru refused to believe that while the vampire could so easily take a gun to the lycans and shoot without hesitation, that they could be void of compassion for their own kind. "I don't know," he finally spoke. By now, the sunlight was filing through the window so brightly that Shikamaru was forced to turn his gaze away from the panel. "I find that hard to believe. From what I know of the Hyuuga, though they are very self-superior, I doubt they'd simply send one of their own to die intentionally…and of the Main Family no less - " he shook his head. " – They must be planning something. And we need to ensure we're one step ahead." He tilted his gaze towards the rest of the room. "Sakura, Sai – any luck with locating the source of those silver bullets?"

Sakura's expression slackened once again. It was Sai that responded nevertheless. "The vampires are either extremely loyal or extremely selective about who they disclose information too."

"I see," came the response. "Either way, we're going to have to prepare for the worst. Even if the vampires don't agree to negotiate, I'm sure they'll attempt to retaliate at some point."

"What do you suggest?" Chouji interposed. The larger lycan had been overseeing their current location for quite some time. Shikamaru regarded the other as the most loyal of his entourage. He may have not possessed Sakura's intelligence, but he was strong and enduring, and he had stood beside Shikamaru from the very beginning. He never questioned anything the brown-haired lycan dictated and more than anything trusted his judgement; in return Shikamaru trusted Chouji with his life.

"I think we should assemble _all_ of the lycans in this district and prepare them for an uprising."

"But we already have quite a few allies as is," Sakura articulated. She was right of course. Over the years, they had managed to acquire a solid assembly of lycans keen to overthrow the vampire once and for all. While some were more desperate than others, eager to lay their lives on the line, there were some – if not very few – that were not as keen to surface and fight the cause.

"Maybe so, but I know of one who we haven't contacted," Shikamaru shifted his gaze back towards the window. His eyes had somewhat adjusted to the brightness and the sun was no longer troubling. Needless to say, he felt everyone's eyes on him; he had yet to disclose this to anyone – not even Chouji – and it gave him incentive to continue. "There is a lycan…who is as dangerous to us as he is to any vampire – or even human. He was lethal, he'd spare no one; he'd kill for the fun of it, but I suppose it didn't help much that he couldn't control his transformations either. No one has really heard from him for quite some time now, however. Many people think he's dead, but I doubt it. I'm sure he's alive somewhere or other, and I think we should contact him."

"Wouldn't it be dangerous?"

"I don't think I've ever met a lycan that couldn't control a transformation,"

"There are a select few," continued Shikamaru. "But most of them isolate themselves for fear of hurting those they care about. This one, however, is the complete opposite."

"So, who is this guy anyway?" Naruto had leaned forward in his chair somewhat. There was an intrigued look on his face.

"His name - " Shikamaru responded. " - is Gaara…"

* * *

"I don't like it."

"Yeah…well I don't like it either, but a lead is a lead even if it is anonymous," Kankuro responded. His hands were situated on the steering wheel of his car as he manoeuvred the vehicle to the right and took off down the adjacent road.

"For all we know, they could be steering us in the wrong direction." Temari folded her arms across her chest. She was located in the passenger seat, her teal-coloured eyes seemingly glaring at the dashboard.

"And for all we know, we could be getting one step closer to the truth," the brunette continued.

After several days of virtually no luck, the two-man team had suddenly been presented with something completely unexpected and unaccounted for. It had arrived in a brown envelope. There had been no address and no name; only the words "Concerning the Old Mill" were printed on the surface. Naturally, it had reached the pair of them within minutes; Kankuro had been in the midst of taking his coffee break at the time when a colleague had handed it to him. Discarding his mug on a nearby counter, he had wasted no time in opening it and reading the contents. All that it disclosed was an address – _130 Manouchi Street_ - and that was where the siblings were currently headed.

"It still sounds suspicious to me." Temari persisted. "With all that missing information, someone must have handed it in…and yet no one at reception could even paint a picture of that person." She paused. "I mean, reception aren't _that_ incompetent. Someone hands them a blank envelope, they're bound to be suspicious. For all they know, it could have been a bomb… and yet, they couldn't even identify a piece of clothing."

"I think you're analysing this way too much, Temari," her brother placed his foot lightly on the break as they drew up to a set of traffic lights. Of the pair of them, his older sister had always been the brains behind their operation, while Kankuro himself had been the drive. Temari's weakness, however, lay in the fact that she had a tendency to over-analyse situations. Nothing was ever simple. There were times she was accurate nevertheless, but there were also, times when the stress of their job had a tendency to interfere with her logic.

"They could have slipped the letter in between something else," he continued nevertheless. The female voice of his sat-nav was indicating that he had another 300 yards to go before he was to take the next left. By then, they'd have finally arrived. He glanced towards his sister. "Are you sure you're alright…you know…about this case and all?"

The blonde huffed as the traffic lights became green and the car reared forwards. "I'm fine," she snapped. "This is just out of the blue, that's all. I hope this isn't some wild goose chase."

"Well, isn't this what we get paid for, sis?" responded Kankuro with a sincere grin. "Sorting through all the junk to get to the truth?"

He heard her exhale and interpreted it to be some sort of truce. In the meantime, the car travelled along the high street, before making that left. For the mid afternoon, the sun was surprisingly bright that day, beaming partial heat into the city that was both welcoming and tame.

"_You have arrived at your destination!"_ chimed the sat-nav and Kankuro took the opportunity to locate a parking space on the side of the road. As he drew his car to a firm halt behind a small white van, he switched off the engine and both parties clambered out of the vehicle and peered about their surroundings.

Manouchi Street was small and quieter in comparison to the high road they had arrived from. Behind him, Kankuro could still see the people from the adjoining street ambling along with their bags of shopping, or manoeuvring between buildings. Some had stopped for a casual smoke, while others were hurrying along, keen to get to their destinations No one had taken to strolling along the road that they were situated on nevertheless, save for a few random strays who were most likely taking shortcuts to or from the high road. Besides the occasional residence, there appeared to be nothing of significant interest in the locale regardless. Their car was parked opposite an arts and crafts shop that was currently closed. Next to it, was a cab firm. It was presumed they were open, but were low on business.

Kankuro slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out the piece of paper that had dictated their location. He glanced at the number on it once, before peering up at the various shops and buildings in order to perceive a number. He saw a solicitors' office and found that they were number one hundred and twenty-two. He beckoned to Temari. "It's further down."

The two followed the pavement accordingly, passing by the buildings in succession; they passed by a second-hand shop and another residence that was boarded up. It was not long before they found themselves in front of number one hundred and thirty, which was situated right at the end of the road. It took the shape of a shabby little public house called The H'ydon Village. The letter in between the "h" and the "y" was missing nevertheless and the "a" in Village was lopsided. The entire outside was plagued with dust and the windows were so glazed over that it was almost difficult to decipher what was inside. Needless to say, the front door was open indicating that they were indeed open and in business and a small folksy melody was singing from a jukebox inside. Both detectives glanced at each other; Temari's expression was quizzical, while Kankuro appeared somewhat unimpressed. Nevertheless, Kankuro stuffed the piece of paper back into his pocket and the two entered into the abode.

The air inside the saloon was stuffy, regardless of the fact that the front door had been left open. Furthermore, though it was daylight outside, the entire ambience put forth an almost shabby undertone; the room was fairly sizeable and various barstools were situated around tables; booths were strung along the far wall built in with dusty red cushion, supposedly arranged for intimacy and yet contradicting the measure; the bar itself looked as if it had once been somewhat smooth and presidential, but had long since been reduced to a shadow of its former glory; coasters were situated across the somewhat dilapidated surface, potentially hiding the cracks and general wear and tear. Overall, it was not a place that had deigned to attract the young and trendy, but had clearly managed to stay open perhaps because it had obtained a few regulars. Said individuals were dotted sparingly around the room, however; one man was situated within a booth with his back facing towards them - Temari noticed him shuffle only to take a sip of his beverage. Located towards the other side of the room were a couple of middle-aged men that made Temari feel uneasy; though they were having a hushed conversation, one did not spare modesty in the slightest as he appeared to be leering at her. Lastly, the one remaining character was an old woman, who had taken residence at the bar. She was relatively small and hunched over; her feet nearly did not reach the footrest. She beckoned with a hand to someone in particular and within moments, a bartender – another middle-aged man – appeared to refill her beverage.

It was Kankuro who took initiative and approached the bar, Temari drawing up beside him. As soon as the bartender had settled the old woman's beverage beside her, he turned to the two officers in great reverence. "It's not everyday we get new faces around here," the man beamed. "What'll it be?"

"This is not social call," Kankuro spoke, which caused the bartender to peer at him quizzically. In the meantime, the brown-haired officer placed his hand into the inside of his jacket and retrieved his badge. Temari instinctively followed suit. "My name is Detective Kankuro and this is my partner, Detective Temari." Both individuals flashed their badges to the bartender. By now, the entire room had taken an interest in the arrival of the two characters. "We are currently investigating the murder of two individuals that took place four days ago at the Old Mill situated on the outskirts of town. We have reason to believe that someone here might possess valuable information as to…."

"I've been expecting you, officers." The throaty voice acquired caused the young male to halt in his query as he glanced towards his left and peered towards the old woman who had dared to speak. Her face was a picture of her years; wrinkles decorated every crevice with fine lines drawn across her forehead; thick bags hung both over and under her eyes and the occasional liver spot was dotted along her features; her hair was a deep grey hue and somewhat withered, but she had fashioned it into a partial bun on her head, while a brown headband secured a few stray bangs that hung loosely along either side of her head settling at a rigid neck-length. She did not glance at them at first - she looked neither content nor saddened - but took a sip of her beverage, which appeared to be nothing more than water.

"You sent the letter?" Kankuro questioned, unprofessionally.

The old woman situated her glass on the coaster that was sited on the counter in front of her. "On the contrary," she stated. "I didn't send a thing."

Temari's eye furrowed. "Listen, ma'am," she began. There was a hint of irritation in her voice. "This is a very important case and we don't appreciate people wasting police time, so if you don't have anything to contribute…"

"I didn't say that," the woman interrupted. She cupped her glass and took another sip. "I may not have sent you the envelope, but I have much information to disclose." She tilted her head towards them. "Whether you're ready for it, however, is an entirely different matter."

Both Temari and Kankuro glanced at one another. It was the bartender who spoke nevertheless.

"Aww, there you go again, Chiyo," he stated. "You and your crazy stories. It's no wonder people don't stick around here anymore."

"Tch," the proclaimed woman hissed. "It's not my fault that people can't handle the truth." She tapped her temple with a finger. "I'm ninety-nine percent accurate, you know?"

The bartender chuckled. "Uh huh, I'm sure."

"I'm sorry to interrupt to interrupt, but…"

"Yes, of course," Chiyo clutched her glass yet again as she edged off of her stool and planted her feet on the ground. "I suppose we should talk in private."

Kankuro gestured with his hand and the old woman meandered beyond her own stool towards the opposite end of the bar. In that time, he glanced at his sister, whose sceptical demeanour was rigidly implanted on her face. Regardless, however, both detectives followed the woman in silence – Temari grateful that she could no longer see the leering man from earlier – and soon found themselves situated within a booth far towards the back of the vicinity. The old woman slid into one side, while Kankuro and Temari eased into the space opposite. She took another sip.

Kankuro hooked his fingers together. "So, what it is you know exactly?"

"_What_ indeed," she responded. "I mean I can tell you, but I doubt you'll believe me – not until you see them firsthand anyway."

"See what firsthand?" Temari queried.

Chiyo placed her elbow on the table and allowed her hand to drape at an angle whereby she rested her chin on the back of it. Her tiny eyes glanced between the two officers in an almost casual fashion before she spoke again. "Those murders," her tone had lowered somewhat; it was almost the resonance of a mock-whisper. "They weren't committed by normal folk." Kankuro hadn't realised it, but his body had inched a millimetre closer in anticipation, as had Temari's. "They were committed by creatures very unlike you and I," She removed her hand from beneath her chin and angled it vertically adjacent to her mouth as if to shield her following remark from prying ears. "Creatures known as…_vampires_."

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Nothing much to say, except, thanks to those of you who are still reading this. Sorry for the delay again. I work really unsocial hours and I do overtime as well. Either way, however, as I always say; enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Temari inhaled silently as she peered towards the woman in an attempt not to disclose the obvious scepticism that she was currently experiencing. She was wondering how best to chose her words lest she offend the old woman. Part of her, however, wanted to disregard the diplomatic manner that she had been forced to adopt when dealing with members of the public. Part of her desired nothing more than to reprimand the woman for clearly wasting their time as she had suspected earlier. Her head slanted downwards, teals eyes cast towards the surface of the table – she inhaled - in order to disguise the tiny vein that was threatening to propagate into the side of her temple. She opened her mouth to speak, but it was Kankuro who voiced his opinion on the matter.

"Ma'am." Judging by his tone, Temari could tell that he had adopted the same outlook as she had. "I don't think…"

"Ah, go ahead," the old woman suddenly interjected; this caused Temari to lift her head and re-assign her eyes accordingly. "I didn't expect you would believe me; nobody ever does." She shook her head. "That's the thing with folk – they never believe what they haven't seen with their own two eyes…"

"Forgive us for being a little _dubious_…"

"…But I've seen them, alright," Chiyo continued, either oblivious or with complete disregard to the policewoman's statement. "I've seen them in my dreams; seen them in person in fact. They're very real. Look like you and I. But obviously…they only appear at night…"

Kankuro ran a hand through his hair. "Listen…ma'am…"

The old woman prodded her lip. "…I suppose they'd be hard to find now, considering there's supposed to be a war about to surface…"

"Ma'am!" Kankuro's voice was a little louder than he'd anticipated. It caused the vicinity's remaining customers to glance in their direction. It was Temari who gesticulated for him to settle down, however, even as her own patience was wavering. Chiyo seemed completely unfazed by the detective's sudden outburst nevertheless.

"There is nothing you can tell me that I don't already know," she continued, tapping the side of her temple with her finger. The partially empty glass of water had suddenly been forgotten. "I'm clairvoyant, you know? I can read the pair of you like a book…"

"That's it!" Kankuro planted a hand flat and forcefully on the table. "Temari! Lets go! We're wasting time here." He slid from the booth and drew himself to a stand. Her younger brother was not known for his patient or withholding his temper. Years within the service had taught him that there was no place for it nonetheless; it was better to avoid losing his cool by simply disappearing from the situation. Temari proceeded to follow suit.

"…I mean, take you, for example, detective." Again, the old woman seemed to disregard the apparent discount, addressing the policeman. "The younger one and still as brash and dismissive as you were in your youth, I'm sure." She then glanced towards Temari. "And then there's you, young lady – always the more rational, am I correct?" By then, Kankuro had already turned his back on the woman in procession towards the main entrance; Temari manoeuvred in following. "I suppose it's a necessity for any older sister overseeing her brother."

This caused her to stop abruptly. Because even though logic was telling her that this woman was obviously crazy and that their supposed lead had obviously been a dud, it was also, telling her that neither she, nor Kankuro had fully disclosed the depth of their relationship either. It was not like it was obvious. Both maintained a professional exterior at work and additionally, it was not as though there were any defining traits that united them. Kankuro resembled their father, whereas Temari had the same facial structure as their mother. Regardless, alarm bells were ringing in her mind, indicating that something was not at all correct. In turn, her brain set to work to make sense of it all. Was somebody watching them - tailing them? Was there someone out there that knew more about them that they'd cared to let on? After all, the old woman had implied that she had been expecting them. Additionally, it wasn't out of the ordinary to acquire information on individuals in present day society. Not even police databases were safe from experienced hackers. But even if this was a possibility, why would someone desire information about them? Because, though the woman had specified she was some sort of psychic, the blonde refused to believe that that could be an option…

Gradually, she tilted her head to the side and glanced over her shoulder, a quizzical and slightly unnerving expression on her face. "Who…are you?" she questioned.

The beady little eyes of the old woman peered back at her, wrinkled features demonstrating seriousness. "I am as I say I am," was the response.

"Temari, come on! What are you waiting for?" Kankuro had been halfway towards the doorway when he realised that his partner was not directly behind him. His voice was seemingly distant in her ears.

"I also know that you carry a large burden," Chiyo continued. "It's the reason you became a detective is it not? To uncover the secrets of your past…"

The blonde's eyes furrowed even as Kankuro's voice incessantly called her name.

"You could be closer to them then you think," the old woman continued; there was an odd gleam in her eyes – both unnerving and yet intriguing.

Eventually, she closed her eyes and drew her face away from the woman facing ahead of her. Her eyes opened and she could see her brother ahead of her, a partially bemused expression on his face – irritation wrinkling the crevices. She shook her head, allowing some of the sense to return to her even though her mind was currently plagued with various thoughts and questions, desperate to make sense of the situation. In the end, she took a step forward.

"Prepare yourself, child," came the old woman's voice once again. "You have much to discover."

She fought the urge to gulp, but another exclamation from Kankuro summoned her attention completely and she forced herself to join him. She did not look back as they approached the entrance of the public house, but she was sure she could feel the old woman's gaze on the back of her neck. It wasn't until they stepped outside and the transition from hot air to level plane managed to ease some of the tension that she had not realised she'd acquired from the previous encounter.

"What a waste of time!" Kankuro's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Vampires and psychics? There are all kinds of nut-jobs these days. She's lucky we didn't arrest her."

Temari's response was an inaudible agreement and for a few nanoseconds, a small silence fell between them.

"Temari?" the brunette cocked a brow.

His partner glanced up at him; there was something of a dazed expression on her face, which caused his own to mirror confusion. "You're not seriously considering this, are you?"

Her teal eyes widened briefly. "What? No! No; don't be ridiculous," she responded. Her eyes resumed their natural determination, which was enough to cause her partner to drop the topic.

Needless to say, even though the rationale that the woman had correctly identified wanted to believe that a authoritarian conspiracy was afoot – it just didn't seem to fit the criteria. An old lady with unusual messages and an assembly of personal information at her disposal? An envelope with a supposed lead? It did not resemble a scheme in the slightest. Conspiracies usually contained a definitive aim and such aims would usually resort in the kidnapping, threatening or murdering of their suspects. And yet, they had not suffered at the hands of any. The only thing that was potentially related to this ideal was the woman's warning.

_Prepare yourself, child…you have much to discover_.

Was it just a waste of time as they had both initially believed, or was there truth to those words?

* * *

She couldn't remember how long it had been – how many days she had spent trapped inside the walls of her prison. Of the small fragments of sanity that she still possessed, nonetheless, she knew that it had not been that long at all. No more than a few days – not even a week, she surmised. And yet, it was beginning to feel like much longer. Her mind was beginning to play games with her – vicious tricks that would make a small twenty-minute segment feel like twenty hours. The air within those familiar four walls was humid and yet it did not stop her from trembling. The shackles around her wrist were still cold against her skin and yet hot from the previously acquired lesions she had granted herself from her incessant tugging in attempts to free herself. She had lost track of how many times she had tried – even her vampire strength seemed insufficient - as the task in question had left a well-defined rouge embedded along her wrists. Overall, nonetheless, her body was weakening; there were times when she felt herself falling in and out of consciousness. It was only her drive to survive that was allowing her to maintain some degree of decorum – if the occasional twitch could be call thus. It was her desperation to prohibit the werewolf scum from perceiving her in weakness, even as her body was crying out for the ruby liquor that her kind thrived on – to quench the thirst and to rejuvenate.

Every now and again, however, she would glance towards her older sister. From whence she had returned from being interrogated by the lycan, she had continued to demonstrate a potent sense of anxiousness. She, unlike Hanabi, could not conceal her emotions and it strengthened the dislike that Hanabi already possessed for her. In a way, though she was well aware that their father detested his oldest daughter, it did not cause Hanabi to spawn pity for her. Perhaps the younger daughter was more like their father than she had realised, but she had noticed certain characteristics in Hinata that had never really been Hyuuga-like. She was soft natured and brittle, and had never really presented their father with anything that might suggest her value. Because of this, she had been cast aside – forgotten – and disbanded from any more serious Hyuuga affairs. She knew how much her sister despised this about herself – and Hanabi believed she had cause to as well - but because of this, she hadn't had much of a hard life in the slightest. In fact, her life had very much resembled that of a spoiled princess. Everything had been given to her; nothing had been earned. It was this that Hanabi most despised about her sister.

She hadn't realised it until recently, but every little judder and every little gasp for breath that Hinata exhibited reminded Hanabi of the weakness that was so fervent in her older sibling.

She could not comprehend how Hinata had sought to adopt such traits, for even the feeblest of their line, still managed to maintain some form of indifference, some form of subtle pride in the face of danger. But Hinata was different. Her fear was not only great but palpable, and it was definitive that she would not last much longer. Again, rather than feel any compassion, Hanabi felt other emotions simmering from within. For with each of her sister's gestures, she felt her own body retaliate in response. But instead of succumbing to the hunger, she felt herself yield to those feelings - feelings that had remained carefully controlled and dormant up until now.

"Stop it," she seethed. She leaned forwards and her wrists began to seer at the sudden pressure of the clasps against her wrists. The distance between the shackles and the chain had shortened after her own interrogation – perhaps they had deemed her a threat. Her statement must have been quiet, nevertheless, because the rhythmic breathlessness did not cease. Hanabi gritted her teeth within her mouth. "_Stop_ _it_!" She chastised again. She clenched her fists and ignored the increasing grating of the skin along her wrists. The words had fallen on deaf ears again, however, and when she finally glanced towards Hinata – a bumbling ball of ruin - something within her snapped. She raised a fist and thrust it against the wall. "STOP IT!" she yelled. The room trembled violently. Something snapped and a few tiny fragments of debris fell from the ceiling and onto the floor.

Hanabi panted in an attempt to restore her breath. She glanced towards her sister, who had seemingly frozen on the spot; her eyes were screaming alarm, hand clenching the clothing above her chest.

"Pull yourself together," Hanabi snapped at her sister. "Have you no pride?" Her crystal eyes peered dangerously towards the other.

Hinata's eyes did not deviate from her sister nevertheless; they continued to radiate shock, her lips quivering somewhat. "…H...Hanabi, I…you…" she removed her hand from its gritted position and it shuddered as she arched her index finger forward and pointed towards her.

Hanabi's eye furrowed as she attempted to decipher what her sister was gesturing to. She glanced around the floor and at herself, before lifting one hand – the chain stopped her from moving much – and then the other. It was this one she found that she was able to move slightly higher than the other and it was when she glanced at the bottom of the chain that she realised. Her own anger - her outburst – had contributed to the final erosion of the chain. For though the shackle was still on her wrist – she had just realised that it was searing furiously – the chain had been severed. Her eyes widened in awe and for the first time in quite a while, a knowing smile fell across her lips. She suddenly felt revitalised – as if she had a new sense of purpose - as if all that seemingly futile tugging had been worth something after all. Gradually, reason suddenly returned to her. For if she could break one shackle, she could most certainly break the other. But she did not have much time. She was sure that the lycan within the vicinity would have felt the tremor and would probably attempt to look into it. She set to work.

Now, able to move, slightly further away from the wall, she motioned her body accordingly to face it, before hooking her freehand against the shackle of the remaining chain in order to reduce friction; she then positioned her feet flat on the ground and leaned back in an attempt to pull herself free.

"Hanabi," Hinata's voice cowered from the adjoining wall. "What are you…?"

"What does it…look like?" she responded between tugs. Deciding that said method was inadequate, she altered her position and planted her feet against the wall instead, her feet mere inches away from chain incision. Once again, she leaned back and pulled and still it would not budge, but she refused to concede. If she could free herself from the wall, then there was a chance that she could free herself from the lycan prison; a chance whereby she could reconvene with her family and alert her father as to the lycan's true objective. Desperation, merged with her already impending thirst, summoned the strength she had acquired before, and with one perfectly placed haul and a cry of fortitude in correspondence, the chain broke free and she tumbled backwards, landing slightly askew on the ground. She bit back the minor discomfort and breathed. She was free.

Her astute hearing, however, alerted her of footsteps that were fast approaching their location and immediately, she scrambled to a stand, eyes darting around the room in order to decide what best to do. Hinata's worried voice called her name, but the younger sibling shushed her sister in order to eliminate any unnecessary deterring from making a decision. The footsteps stopped outside the cell door and Hanabi's heart caught in her throat, as the jingling of keys alerted her attention. She knew, however, that the door opened inwards and immediately decided to situated herself within the corner behind where the door would open. Glancing at Hinata's worried eyes as the keys fell into the lock, she met her sister's gaze and silently urged her to remain silent. The door fell open and the stranger stepped into the room. He opened his mouth.

"Where's…?"

Hanabi pounced. One of her hands pushed the door to a close and she leapt upon his back, clasping her legs around his torso, and clamping his arms to his side. He struggled against her, though she knew it would only be a matter of seconds before he transformed. So in turn, she quickly located his collarbone beneath his clothing and sunk her nails into his flesh, before planting her fangs into his neck. A large roar of agony escaped from his mouth as she pierced his flesh, sparing him no comfort as her fangs located his jugular vein. His form still battling with her, she withdrew and planted her fangs within an adjacent location, this time locating an artery and there, he roared once again before his body slackened somewhat. As she drew in the thick red liquid, however, his body proceeded to fall limp within her grasp and eventually, she planted her feet back on the ground and withdrew her canines from his throat, as he sailed forwards towards the ground. He landed with a thud and Hanabi wiped away the blood that has spilled along chin in the process.

The lycan had tasted less than adequate – as she had suspected – but he had given her enough to sustain an escape. Aware that there were lycans still crawling all over the facility, she leaned down over his form and located a set of keys that had been hidden within his pockets. With only three keys attached to a ring, she proceed to sink the keys within the keyholes of her shackles – the first would not fit, the second would not turn; the third fit turned within the hole and the shackle fell from her wrist and clattered onto the floor. She repeated the same with the other notion before she remembered that she was not alone.

Hinata's eyes spoke terror as she glanced from the dead carcass towards her sister. She had resorted to shuddering again and Hanabi's eyes narrowed. Regardless of her contempt for her sister, she knew that she could not simply leave her here, but her own pride refused to allow her absolute compassion. In turn, she inhaled before casting the keys towards her sister. Hinata's eyes squinted shut and her body constricted as if she expected that they might land on her. Instead, they jangled on the ground next to her and when she realised, her eyes opened and peered towards them. Hanabi meandered towards the door and peered through the gap that she had left upon closing it. No lycans present in the immediate area, she opened the door before sparing her sister with one final look.

"Do what you want," she stated, before disappearing into the hallway.

* * *

She was afraid, body stricken with disbelief and anxiety. For she had never seen such a volatile display in her lifetime - never known a member of her own coven to so furiously take the blood of another. After all, it had been forbidden – an act instilled by her father to protect their coven from human intervention. For where there were deaths in the human populace, usually followed a string of individuals keen to uncover the secrets associated with it. And the vampire race was a secret – a secret that had been concealed for decades. She was aware of, however, that there were vampires outside of the Hyuuga that still sought after blood via human flesh, but those had simply been stories – stories that had often contained vampires who were desperate to hold on to life. So to actually see it firsthand had been unexpected, and as she had watched her sister devour the lycan - the liquid leaking inevitably from the open wound - an entire cluster of emotions had pervaded through her – terror, nausea, disgust; her own hunger was temporarily forgotten.

The carcass remained on the ground, a trail of blood oozing along the floor. She was grateful that the artificial light crawling into the room was barely strong enough to illuminate his face. He was dead nevertheless – that was certain – and her sister had left her alone. But though, her sibling had departed for the course of freedom, she had not left Hinata completely incarcerated. Hinata tugged her gaze from the corpse towards the ground beside her, where her sister had tossed her the keys to her own freedom – the keys to her shackles. Her body tensed as she debated with herself. If she stayed behind then the lycan would certainly kill her. She had not proved useful in the slightest when they had interrogated her and with her sister currently braving the route to solace, whether she escaped or not, would certainly fall back on her if she stayed. Similarly, if she freed herself from the confines and attempted to escape, there was every possibility that she herself would be recaptured – and then killed. After all, the facility was full of lycans; she doubted that it would be much longer before her sister engaged them. But Hinata was not as skilled as Hanabi; she was not a fighter. And yet, she wanted to prove herself. She had initially arrived in such a predicament with the intention of negotiating, which had swiftly been overruled by her desire to protect and retrieve her sister. How could she even hope to carry out the latter unless she tried?

She inhaled; the sweet stench of lycan gore tickled her senses. She reached out and fought against the chains until her fingertips touched upon the tips of the keys. Carefully and quickly, she dragged them towards her and finally grasped a hold of them, testing each key individually until eventually one sunk into the keyhole of her shackle with ease. She turned it in place and the clasp fell from her wrist. She made swift and yet, quavering work of the second, before she quickly drew herself to a stand and manoeuvred over to the open doorway, stepping over the corpse. Artificial light on her skin, she squinted somewhat as she tentatively ushered her head into the hallway. There was no one present in either direction.

A shrill noise suddenly shook the entire vicinity nevertheless, and caused Hinata to shrivel under the loudness, as the lights dimmed into nothing and various red lights proceeded to flash continuously further along either side of the hallway. Coupled with the noise, she found that she could hear various growls and roars in the distance. Innate feelings of dread launched within her, as her worst suspicions were confirmed - personified images of transformed lycans filtered through her mind, her sister amongst them. Needless to say, she gulped as she stepped into the hallway.

Mild alarm ensued as she debated as to which direction Hanabi had taken. She knew that time was against her, nevertheless, and made the decision to head left as she had been escorted right when she had been interrogated. Her footsteps were a cautious panic, both hurried and yet keen to catch up to Hanabi lest she find herself in trouble. Eventually, into the darkened corridor, she reached the end and turned into an adjoining one. Roars of agony and conquest were much louder here. She wanted to call out and had opened her mouth to do so, when she remembered where she was. If she called out, then she would most likely draw unwanted attention to herself. As of now, she possessed the advantage of surprise, even if she could not physically do much. Her task, as of now, nevertheless, was to locate her sister.

A female's cry awakened concern. Her heart thudded in her chest and her eyes widened. "Hanabi," she spoke. Another cry amongst the noise and Hinata disregarded her initial fears. "HANABI!" she cried, as she bolted along the darkened hallway, terror replaced with horrendous concern. She had no idea where she was headed, but merely followed the sounds of battle, terrified that her sister might be surrounded, or much worse. Her speed increased as she ducked into another adjoining hallway, the flashing red lights flickering dangerously and noise from the alarm screaming uncontrollably. "HANABI! HANABI!" she exclaimed, abandoning any previously assumed sense of logic. It wasn't until she attempted to wonder into another connecting corridor that she heard the sounds of scampering mere inches behind her.

A gasp caught in her throat as she glanced behind her. One of the flashing lights disappeared beneath a moving silhouette as it settled next to her. Something seized her arm and yanked her forcefully backward. She landed with her back up against a nearby wall, her body vibrating as she felt the wind within her expel from her lips. Before she had time to realise, however, a strong hand had clasped her neck. Her eyes closed tightly and her hands instinctively sought to meet the intrusion, digging into the perfectly placed knuckles in a futile attempt to pull them apart. Breath struggling, her eyes squinted open and she found her gaze met with those familiar golden eyes.

* * *

Hanabi clutched her shoulder as her own blood crept out of the newly defined wound, interweaving in between her fingers, falling along her arm and staining her clothing. She breathed deeply, shoulders rising and falling with each expenditure of air. Though the alarm was still shrieking, her eyes, having adjusted to the darkness, peered down at the ground, where she had managed to dispose of two lycan with whom she had previously engaged in a scuffle. Naturally, she had been at a disadvantage. She had had no weapon and the lycan had immediately emerged in transformation. In order to battle them, she too had had to adorn an animalistic regime – a feat with which she had been disgusted with. She had managed to sink her teeth into the artery of one before acquiring her recent wound from another. There, at an even stronger disadvantage, she had had nothing more than a few seconds to consider a solution. But her opponent had been none to bright – whether keen to apprehend or kill her, she was not sure – and evidently, she had managed to outsmart him. The body of said individual was currently sprawled along the floor ahead of his comrade, his altered features having reacquired their human physique. There was an open wound along his shoulder, where she had dragged her nails along his flesh in order to locate his artery. She had located something because he was currently bleeding, but she knew he was not dead. His accomplice, however, had not been so fortunate.

Lifting her weakened hand, she wiped the blood of the first lycan from her mouth before deciding to move on; the comatose lycans were left behind her; her breath remained harsh. As much as she disliked the idea, nevertheless, she had to admit that it had been a mere fluke that she had survived thus far. And she also knew that she would not be able to take on another two lycans by herself – not in her current state. She could hear various noises all around her – the alarms interlinking with the sounds of scrambling footsteps. In turn, she attempted to pick up the pace, travelling in the opposite direction, her hand still clasping her shoulder.

Before she attempted to enter into the next corridor, her ears awakened her to a noise and she pressed her back into the wall at the corner in an attempt to listen beneath the continuous waves of the screeching siren. It was upon her attempt to focus that her ears managed to penetrate another noise that she had not noticed before. She pressed her ear against the cold harsh surface of the barricade and listened. She then withdrew from the wall in recognition. Water. She could hear the sounds of the sea. Did that mean she was underground? It might have explained why each corridor looked virtually the same, but it also, meant that if she followed the sounds, her likelihood of locating an exit would increase.

She broke off around the next corner, hearing stretching beyond the noise and focusing on the sounds of the crashing waves. Every now and again, she would stop and press herself up against a wall to listen and when she detected that she was close, she would move on, taking care not to spend too much time due to what sounded like the approaching forms of the enemy. Crashing waves close, she slid into a third corridor and noticed that unlike the others, this one had no doors situated along either side. Instead, there was one solitary opening at the end of the corridor and based on her own hearing, she immediately determined it as a source of exit. She picked up the pace, darting along the corridor and biting back the minor discomfort caused by the injury in her shoulder.

Halfway towards her destination, however, she had cause to glance behind herself at sudden tremors. Within moments, a cluster of three transformed lycans appeared from bordering corridor, clawing their way into her one. Their eyes portrayed hunger as they scrambled towards her – one along the ground and two along either wall, seemingly sealing her in. Hanabi propelled herself forwards, arm outstretched in order to receive the door-handle. She could taste her freedom. She would be the first vampire to find herself trapped within a lycan stronghold and live to tell the tale. Eyes on her target, her hand eventually snagged a hold of the metallic handle when she finally reached the head of the corridor. In fact, she was so set on it that she failed to notice the small stream of white, which drew a line along the gap in the bottom of the doorway.

Avidly, she wrenched open the door.

* * *

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you now," spoke the lycan. The colour of his eyes had receded somewhat; golden fury had intermingled with that familiar black coffee. She should have known. Escaping had been futile. How could she ever hope to catch up to Hanabi - to protect Hanabi – now? She had repeated her past mistakes – confronted by the same lycan from beforehand; his name escaped her.

Nevertheless, she desperately sought to speak, keen not to make him any angrier than he already was. "Be…cause…I…want to…end…it…" she managed to speak although his grasp was unyielding; simultaneously, the alarm ceased raging. "…This…war…I don't…want to…fight…I don't…understand…why…we fight…"

An agonising scream enveloped the entire vicinity and reached the ears of the young vampiress. Her eyes widened temporarily, before her face both radiated the pain she felt and the fear of her suspicions.

"Ha…an…bi…" she muttered.

"Your sister is dead," came another voice. Hinata gasped. The latter both acquired the focus of both the vampiress and the lycan, as he turned his head to acknowledge the other.

Though the alarm had ceased, the lights had yet to fully restore themselves. The red lights had stopped flashing, providing a minimal light along various factions of the corridor, but most of it was still shrouded in darkness. The third party materialised out of this darkness nevertheless, and her eyes peered forth towards her; Hinata had never seen this character before. His most distinctive feature was that his hair was fashioned into a spiky ponytail atop his head; his eyes were tiny, arms fashioned across his chest. It was the fact that he did not look as threatening as the one who had captured her that was most unnerving. She did not know what to make of this stranger – this lycan. She did not know what to expect of him.

"She chose an inopportune moment to escape," he continued to explain. "It's daylight outside. No doubt her death was swift."

Hinata's gaze fell away from the lycan and towards the ground. Her teeth gritted in her mouth and her body adopted a mild tremor. Hanabi was dead. She was really dead. Her little sister - whom she was supposed to protect – was dead. It was all her fault. If she had been better suited during her first encounter with the lycan, then maybe it would not have been Hanabi who had succumbed – who had been captured. Maybe, they would have both escaped with their lives if Hinata had been able to use the gun that Tenten had given her. But no matter how many potential scenarios she allowed to cross her mind, the outcome was just the same. Hanabi was dead, and she was never coming back. Her heart clenched in her chest and she could not stop her eyes from welling up as a stream of tears sailed along her face.

"What should we do with her?" the lycan's voice withdrew her from her emotional stupor as her captor, addressed the other. His grasp had yet to slacken in the slightest and the tightness, coupled with her own tears and the flurry of emotions surging within her, caused her vision to blur temporarily.

"Vampire," Hinata blinked back the blurriness as the second lycan spoke to her once again. "You spoke of wanting to end this war." She saw him motion so that his shoulder was facing towards her, his profile indefinite; there was a serious expression on his face.

Slowly, Hinata nodded as much as her current predicament would allow her; the blurriness returned, coupled by a bout of light-headedness.

The newly adjoined lycan inhaled, tilting his head towards her. "Very well," he began. "If you want to end this war – help us locate the Byakugan."

Hinata peered hazily towards him; something was prohibiting her from speaking her thoughts so all she managed was a curt nod. Her eyes then suddenly, glazed over and her body weakened, knees buckling beneath her. She didn't feel the lycan's grasp slacken as she fell forwards into the pool of her subconscious.

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay folks, but they will be happening slightly more often, I'm afraid. I'm preparing to go back to university for my final year, which means my writing time will be cut in half...or pieces. Don't fret, however. I'm a woman of my word and I will make time as I plan on finishing this for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

"Are you sure about this?" Naruto asked. "A vampire? On our side?"

"I agree that it's a little out of the ordinary, but she displayed an interest in assisting us," Shikamaru responded. "I'd like to put that to the test." A minor pause. "She's still a vampire, nevertheless, which means that she still cannot be trusted. But with several of us present, I'm sure we'll be able to identify any deception. That, and I doubt she'll try to escape again."

The panels of the interrogation chamber that peered out toward the ocean, had been obscured by thick black sheets so as to prohibit the minor sunlight from filing into the room. It had been noticed, however, that the sun was a little lower in the sky as oppose to before, but the measure had been precautionary for even the slightest hint of sunlight might cause their prisoner to wither.

Overall, nevertheless, the room in question currently laid residence to seven individuals, six of whom were lycan, who occupied the room at various locations. All were surrounding their captive whom they had situated in centre; a dusty lampshade was hanging from the ceiling shining a dim and yet familiar concentrated light onto the being in question. Currently, she was still unconscious, albeit they had managed to haul her into the confines of a wooden chair very unlike the one they had used before. This one contained arms, via which they had taken great care in strapping her wrists to. Her ankles were strapped to the front two legs of the chair and her head lolled forwards, hair partly obscuring her face. Shikamaru had taken up position ahead of her, alongside Kiba, whose face was a picture of suspicion. He had yet to say anything ever since they had entered – very unlike him – and only took the time to look away from the vampiress when an individual slid into the doorway.

Sai entered into the room and closed the door behind him. In his hand, he had clasped a vial, which contained a thick red substance within. "Blood from an animal carcass – like you asked," he stated, holding up the vial between two fingers in display.

"Good," Shikamaru responded. "Open it and hover it under her nose. The likelihood is that she's drained from lack of blood consumption. The vial should act as a smelling salt and reiterate consciousness." From whence the vampire had fallen comatose, he had gathered that it was due to the hunger that her kind were renowned for. He was aware that they relied mostly on human blood more than anything, but after locating the bodies of their deceased brethren, coupled with their ideologies against harming humans lest necessary, he reckoned that the blood of a deceased animal would suffice.

Everyone watched as the dark-haired lycan opened the vial and stepped before the vampire. He lifted her head and perceived that most of the colour – if any had been present – had drained from her face. In turn, he hovered the open vial beneath her nose and waved it lightly from side to size. Eventually, her eyes wrinkled and Sai withdrew the vial and himself from her as she began to stir. All eyes remained fixed as she seemingly regained control of her head, gaze cast towards the floor as if she were gradually becoming accustomed to her own vision once more. Evidently, she then lifted her gaze and peered ahead of her. Shikamaru heard her tiny intake of break as her face contorted in realisation. Her observations did not stop at them, however, as she turned to acknowledge Sai on her left, Sakura situated on her right and Naruto and Chouji directly behind her. She shrank in her chair.

"You have no need to be alarmed – as long as you cooperate," Shikamaru stated. "If you're as keen to help us as you say you are, then you won't mind answering a few questions."

The vampiress did not respond straight away, peering down towards the straps that secured her. Shikamaru reckoned there could have been a number of reasons. Her sister had not long passed away; her current predicament was dyer; perhaps she was having second thoughts. Irrespective of what he believed, however, the vampiress finally lifted her head and nodded in accordance.

"Tell us about your coven," the brown-haired lycan dictated. He already possessed a fair amount of knowledge pertaining to their enemy, but he also knew that there were certain elements that he was unaware of – namely the location of their household. He did not desire to know this as of yet, nevertheless; heading into a vampire stronghold was suicide. The least he could do for his kind, however, was to find out as much information as possible. It would be beneficial in the long run.

"…Wh…what…do you…want to know?" her voice was high-pitched and unsteady.

Shikamaru chose his words carefully. "Your leader," he began. "Tell us about your coven leader." Shikamaru, himself, had never actually confronted the Hyuuga leader, but he had heard stories from lycans passed about each and every key individual within the Hyuuga line. He wanted to see if their perceptions matched. There would lie within, truth or deception.

Again, the vampire's face adorned something of a distant look. Her gaze slanted to the side somewhat. "He is…very proud, honourable…and yet…disregarding…"

"Honourable?" Naruto voiced. He folded his arms in mistrust. "Tch!"

"You're from the Main Family, correct?" Sakura inputted, overriding the blond's comment. Very much like Shikamaru, she had adopted a non-judgemental approach. She did not trust the vampire and was taking great care in observing her actions, but she also, knew that if they could retrieve anything valuable from her, they would have to appear neutral instead of intimidating.

The vampiress nodded. "Yes."

"And yet you claim not to know a thing about the Byakugan?" Kiba finally interjected.

The vampiress lowered her head once again; her expression characterised sadness. "I am…sorry…" she began, her voice small. "I have…often been…excluded from the affairs…of my family…this Byakugan you speak of… is likely…a secret kept from…even me."

Shikamaru inhaled. He lifted his gaze from the Hyuuga and peered towards his colleagues within the room. Kiba's face had tightened – he clearly did not believe her. Sai continued to appear indifferent, while Naruto sported the same composure as Kiba. Sakura and Chouji were both peering back towards him; he determined that neither knew what to make of her example. She could have been lying, but her mannerisms demonstrated something else.

"But you seem to know a great deal about your leader," the lycan continued, taking a moment to scratch the back of his ponytail. "Perhaps you can tell us what he's planning next."

Again, the vampire's emotions altered. Her sadness materialised into seriousness, as if she were truly considering the question. "He may be…a hard person…but I know that he cares about the pride of the H…Hyuuga. He's not the type of person to let…emotional ties interfere so…he'd probably focus on…protecting that pride."

"…By eliminating any threats, no doubt,"

"Guess that would be us…"

"I…I," All eyes manoeuvred back towards the vampire as she spoke. She fell silent temporarily, her lips quivering as if she were unsure of or afraid to continue. "I overheard him…talking." She paused to bite her lip. "Something about…sending a group to the club…The Full Moon."

Everybody reacted to the statement differently. It was Sakura's face that sported the most alarm, while Shikamaru's eyes widened momentarily. Sai's neutral demeanour had adopted a more serious tone, while Naruto peered shiftily towards the pink-haired lycan. Kiba's expression tightened and Chouji glanced from the vampiress towards Shikamaru, perhaps in an attempt to read his thoughts.

"That's where you found her, isn't it?" Shikamaru glanced towards Kiba and then towards Naruto and Sai. All three nodded in unison, which caused Shikamaru to break away from his stance and motion towards one of the panels. He pulled one of the sheets back and peered out towards the horizon. "It's nightfall," he spoke, dropping the sheet back in place. He turned his head towards the masses. "Sai, Chouji – assemble a group – and head down there. Be prepared for the worst."

The two addressees nodded before making a beeline for the exit. Sai having remembered that he still had the vial to hand rose a query. "What should I do with…?" Shikamaru held out his hand in response and on cue, Sai tossed the vial into his open palm. Shikamaru grasped it with quick and accurate precision before taking his place next to Kiba and folding his arms, obscuring it from view. Sai and Chouji then departed from the room and the door was closed behind them once again.

"How do you know she's telling the truth?" Kiba spoke. He had altered his stance, pressing his back up against a nearby wall. He too had adopted something of a closed off demeanour, arms folded across his chest. His eyes were still fixed on the prisoner.

"I don't," Shikamaru responded. "For all we know, it could be a trap." He noticed the vampire exhale quietly.

"Then shouldn't we _all_ go?" Naruto piped up.

Shikamaru shook his head. "If it were just lycans, then maybe, but the Full Moon attracts a number of humans as well. It's better if we keep our numbers to a minimum because of this. Plus, Chouji is strong and Sai is fast – I'm sure they'll assemble an adequate team; they can take care of themselves."

"There's one thing I still don't understand," the female lycan spoke. She moved from her perch to the right of vampiress and situated herself slightly ahead of her. "Why is it you want to help us again?" Her expression had suddenly acquired the same scepticism as Kiba.

The vampire's gaze was distant again. "Because I want it to stop," she spoke, pensively. "I don't…condone unnecessary violence…don't agree to it…we shouldn't have to fight one another…"

Kiba could not withhold is contempt. He gritted his teeth. "There she goes again," he spat; his voice became louder. "How can you _condone_ violence, if it was your kind that…

"Kiba," Shikamaru's voice was mild with an authoritarian tint. It managed to override the adjacent lycan nevertheless, who fisted a hand where it lie folded and clenched a handful of his own clothing. Shikamaru then continued to address the vampire personally. "You do realise the repercussions you're likely to face?" he asked her.

The vampiress nodded slowly. "Yes."

Shikamaru turned his attention elsewhere. "Naruto, Sakura – take the prisoner back to her cell." As the two lycans proceeded to untie the vampire, Kiba backed off of the wall and began to withdraw from the room. "Kiba," Shikamaru called. The brunette stopped. "Can I have a word?" He didn't see the lycan's expression as he'd halted, but soon enough he changed his direction as he meandered towards the only other panel within the room, pulling the sheet back and positioning himself over it so that he could peer out across the ocean.

The vampire now fully untied, they proceeded to usher her from the room.

"Sakura," Shikamaru called. The female turned in acknowledgement. "Take this." He tossed the vial that he still had to hand and Sakura grasped a hold of it. "When she's back in the cell – give it to her. It should sustain her the night." She presented him with something of a sceptic look, but eventually nodded in knowing before leaving the room.

Shikamaru then took the opportunity to address Kiba. "You don't trust her, do you?"

Kiba didn't respond straight away. "Does anybody?"

Shikamaru smirked. "I suppose," he responded. He snuck a shoulder up against the adjoining wall. "Either way, I've already spoken to Sai, seeing as you and he interrogated her, yesterday. I wanted to see if you thought anything else of her."

"Tch, she's like a walking barrel of nerves," Kiba began. "I don't think I've seen anything like it in a vampire before. No murderous intent. No misleading tendencies. Only fear, it seems. But I still don't trust her. She's got to be acting or...something. And I believe it! I just can't prove it."

"I agree," said Shikamaru. "It wouldn't surprise me if they'd sent her in as some sort of mole – to gain our trust before turning on us at the very last minute."

"Then why are we holding her prisoner?" Kiba turned to face Shikamaru directly. "Why not kill her and be done with it?"

"Because even if she is a mole – any information that we can get from her may be useful to us," came the explanation. "We might be able to turn the tables on the vampires instead because either way, the outcome will remain the same."

Kiba's brows furrowed. "I hope you know what you're doing." He leaned off of the panel and dropped his arms, motioning towards the doorway. Shikamaru followed suit, a mutual understanding that their small exchange was drawing to a close.

"One more thing," Shikamaru stated as they approached the open doorway. "I'd like you to keep an eye on her. _Personally_."

Kiba showed the other his profile. He nodded in understanding.

* * *

Peering through the curtains of his abode, Hyuuga Hiashi glanced at the horizon where the sun had completely vanished none to long ago. The streets were paved in an ominous orange – streetlamps decorating the roads for human benefit. Behind him, he could here several individuals as they filed into his chambers that evening, each one having been summoned especially for the small conference that was to take place. Eventually, he turned in a subtle acknowledgement as one by one, they entered; his nephew and his female accomplice – the Hyuuga's most loyal outsider - and then their guests and newly acquired allies, Sasuke, swiftly followed by the fiery-haired female and lavender-eyed vampire associates. The doors was closed behind them – a couple of Branch family members had been stationed outside to prohibit anyone from entering at such a crucial time – and everyone inside took position within the room. No one took the opportunity to sit down in any of the chairs present.

"Very well." Hiashi inhaled. "Let us begin. We have much to discuss." He paused. "As it has already been said, the lycan are much stronger and their numbers are greater this time."

"I wonder if our numbers alone will be strong enough," Tenten's articulated; her tone dictated that she had adopted a pensive stance – her thoughts absentmindedly spoken aloud.

Suigetsu interjected. "Of course we are," he dismissed her doubt. "You're forgetting that you have other allies and that _we_ have other allies as well."

"Maybe so, but without any idea of what the lycan are planning…"

"…And coupled with the imprisonment of Hanabi-sama and Hinata-sama…" Neji continued.

Hiashi's brow wrinkled briefly. "There are also, other matters at hand," he began. He approached his desk and carefully opened one of the draws on the left-hand side. "What I am about to disclose to you cannot leave this room. It is to be between us and us alone. I must have your word." Hiashi glanced around the room expectantly. Neji and Tenten nodded almost immediately; Sasuke and his accomplices followed suit also. Removing his eyes from their faces, he then delved into the draw and withdrew a piece of paper; he could tell that they were all watching him in anticipation. He inhaled once again. "Something has recently come to my attention." He placed the piece of paper face up on the centre of his desk. "This is called the Byakugan." It was Sasuke who stepped forward to pick up the picture. He glanced at it briefly, lifting his gaze back to Hiashi and passing it onto the redhead, who passed it over to their third and final accomplice. Hiashi continued. "I know that you - Neji, Tenten - are already aware of it, but what you are not aware of is that it is missing."

Tenten's eyes widened, while Neji stiffened. Their allies, however, remained somewhat indifferent. Hiashi had expected this, however; none of them knew the significance of the object. In turn, he decided to continue. "The Byakugan is an valuable heirloom; it has been within our family for generations. While it is our pride, however: in the wrong hands – in lycan hands especially - it could mean devastation for us all. Therefore, it is paramount that it is returned."

A tiny silence ensued. It seemed that everyone was taking in the seriousness of the situation. It was Sasuke, who eventually broke the silence. "When did it turn up missing?"

"Yesterday," came Hiashi's response. Tenten gasped. "But I cannot be sure that it hasn't been missing for longer."

"But didn't Hinata go missing only a couple of days ago?" the brown-haired vampiress spoke.

"I had suspected that she might have taken it," Hiashi explained. "But if I recall, I had never disclosed anything about the Byakugan _or_ it's whereabouts to anyone other than Hanabi and you, Neji. Plus, she is not so vigilant to have overheard, nor is she so bold that she would simply offer up our livelihood to the enemy." Out of the corner of his eye, he noted the flicker of dissent that fluttered across the face of the female brunette. She held her tongue, however, and Hiashi decided to disregard it.

"Additionally," Neji spoke up. He lifted his gaze from the floor as if his mind had been accessing its logic. "Hinata is with the lycan. If she did possess the Byakugan, the lycan would not be asking to negotiate; they would have taken it and killed her."

"I agree," Sasuke spoke. "Therefore, it's likely that this Byakugan could have disappeared via other means."

"Irrespective, its retrieval is our top priority," Hiashi spoke.

"And the matter of the lycan?"

"I am curious as to how _you_ think we should go about dealing with that matter in particular."

"I suggest a retaliation," Sasuke responded impassively.

"Won't they be expecting that?" the brown-haired vampiress piped up; the concern was thick in her tone. "I mean, wouldn't that put Hanabi and Hinata in danger?"

"Oh, they're _already_ in danger," stated Suigetsu, quite casually. "In fact, they're as good as dead, whether we retaliate or not."

The room fell morbidly quiet as each individual digested the words; Tenten's face in particular had fallen more ashen than usual. When Hiashi truthfully considered the matter, though it had been rudely spoken, he could not escape the truth in them. It was ambitious to hope for his daughters' safe return even if one managed to escape without the other. He despised admitting defeat, but he could not escape the notion that unless Hanabi devised an inexplicable plan to breach the lycan den, they were virtually ill fated.

"Very well," the coven leader eventually spoke, breaking the silence. "We _will_ retaliate."

Tenten opened her mouth to speak, but Neji shot her a sideward glance that immediately halted her in her pursuit.

Hiashi continued. "The retrieval of the Byakugan is still vital, however, and therefore I would ask that you seek its return, while refraining from disclosing that it's missing to our enemy," he paused, but then pressed on, supposing that the latter was a fairly obvious conjunction. "While I agree that it is unlikely that the lycan would be in possession of it, if any of them do have any valuable information regarding it, bring them here – alive."

The several heads with the room nodded in understanding.

"I believe we are at an advantage, nevertheless," the coven leader spoke once again. "Our ammunition may be low, but we are expecting a shipment of bullets any day now."

"Where do you propose we attack?" Sasuke asked.

Hiashi opened another one of the draws and withdraw a piece of paper with an address scrawled across it. Like the picture – which was still dangling in Suigetsu's grasp – he placed it on the desk, facing towards the gathering. Sasuke retrieved it and glanced at the text.

"Understood."

* * *

The sirens were ablaze in the street later on that evening, lighting the roads like blue and red flames. The noise was shrill and angry, and the people seemingly whizzed by as the vehicles sped along the high road and bypassed traffic lights remorselessly. Such was the custom when in pursuit of a criminal or eager to arrive at a crime scene, and the character situated behind the wheel of one of these vehicles wasted no time in pressing down on the gas and speeding along turnings as if he were some sort of professional drag racer. Hand on the gear stick, he forced his foot down on the clutch before manoeuvring into fifth gear. Once altered, he then pressed his foot back down on the pedal and the car roared angrily as it hurtled forwards yet again.

"Take it easy, Kankuro!" Temari yelled at her brother, as their car spun into the next street so violently that she was forced to grab onto the edges of her seat in order to stop herself from falling off of it; seatbelt fastened or not, her brother was still being reckless.

"We've probably missed all the action," Kankuro groaned, bypassing the apology. The blonde detective grimaced; it was as if a twelve-year-old boy had replaced her twenty-something year old partner. "Come on. After that charade with that crazy old lady in the bar, I thought you'd be pleased that we potentially have another lead."

Temari returned her glare to the dashboard. Crazy old lady, indeed. Both logic and reason had been trying to make sense of all the things the woman had said to them during that meeting. Vampires and mythical creatures – things that belonged in children's book and horror movies – had been discarded naturally, but the things that she could not account for – the personal things that the old woman had spoken of – had wedged a neat little hole into the canvas that was her mind. Things refused to add up and as much as she had tried to push the nattering of an old woman to the back of her mind, it would often surface irrespective - almost as if it were an unsolved case grating on her conscience.

During one particular evening when her brother had headed home before her, she had stayed behind – as always – to finish up and file through the evidence that they had acquired. The words had surfaced then, like a ghost out of hiding and she had instantly recalled that the woman had been named Chiyo. Incidentally, she had decided to run a search through the police database against her better judgement. Naturally, it had been a lost cause; there were several dozen people with the name Chiyo after all. Part of her had considered returning to the dinky little public house in hopes of acquiring her full name so that she might further her search. And then she had smirked at her own stupidity, shaking her head at herself for even considering it. The old woman – Chiyo – was a joke; even the bartender had referred to her "crazy stories". And just to prove that her theories were insane, she had subsequently brought up a search engine and typed in the word "vampire".

Over half a million web pages had surfaced as she had expected; the latter ranged from definitions to movies to cults. She had randomly clicked on one of them out of curiosity and the page had detailed to a world of people – people like Chiyo – who truly believed in it all. The site had spawned definitions and how-to guides, meet-ups and reunions, sightings and crests, all of which she had instantly become bored with. She had hit the close button shortly after, surely convinced that a dose of the unreal was all she had needed to set her back on track. Even now, in the car with her brother, she almost smiled at the memory of her irrationality, until the car jerked to an immediate stop. They had reached their destination.

Kankuro was out of the vehicle before she was. He slammed the door and didn't even bother to lock it; Temari slid out of her seat and followed suit. The entire vicinity was alive with people. There were several police cars already present – lights flashing at the crisis. Most of the officers on duty were attempting to keep citizens at bay, ushering them away from the crime scene or at least endeavouring to keep them some distance away. A couple of ambulances were situated in the road also; paramedics were dealing with the wounded; Temari noticed that one man being looked over was seated on the pavement, clutching his arm; there was a nasty wound on his forehead and he was shivering – she was unsure as to whether it was due to the cold or something else.

Flashing their badges to the officers on site, they were able to cross over onto the crime scene with ease. Within moments, they were greeted by the officer that had summoned them there. Temari did not recognise him, but Kankuro seemed more familiar and so she permitted herself to follow the two men as they approached the actual scene itself.

"The Full Moon, huh?" Kankuro queried to the other, peering up the at building's title, as the three of them progressed inside. They were instantly greeted by the strong stench of blood: the very same that they had arrived to at the last scene.

"That's right," the officer responded. She came to learn that his name was Haru. "The locals say it was quite the crowd pleaser. Barely ever had an ounce of trouble."

"That's…strange…" Kankuro's words were halted as they crossed into the main room of the club. Temari's lips parted.

She should not have been surprised. It was a crime scene after all, but the venue was alarming. She had been to a few clubs in her time – even as someone who had married herself to her job. They all usually possessed an intimate setting – coupled with dim lights, dark corners, a grand dance floor and a large bar area. The Full Moon club was no different, however, the setting was no longer as intimate or inviting as it once might have been.

The floor was smeared with blood, wreckage and broken glass. The lights had been switched on so that it was possible to observe everything, but it did nothing at all to lighten the tension of the club. A few dead bodies were present; one had its head lopped off; another was a woman whose eyes were aghast and horrified in death – she had been dressed for the occasion, but now her short, purple dress was stained with her own blood; one of her heels was missing. Similar to the Old Mill, the unusual markings that they had seen before were present once again – a couple of forensics were taking snapshots – but what really astounded the detectives was that the bar had seemingly been cut in half by some unknown force as a perfect crater had revealed the inner woodwork.

Temari approached the counter, quizzically. Officer Haru seemingly picked up on her intrigue. "Can't quite make sense of it myself," the officer spoke. "Would have made sense if they'd hurled a jukebox or something…but nothing."

The blonde suppressed the urge to run a finger over the woodwork. Her instincts were telling her – judging by both the size and shape of the hole – that whatever had made impact there had not been an item of furniture. From what she could see, there was nothing in the room remotely strong enough to physically penetrate it with such vigour and additionally, she was certain that there would have at least been some debris – a few remnants at the very least. In the background, she could hear officer Haru diverting Kankuro's attention elsewhere and had been about to join them when something of interest in the wreckage caught her eye. She blinked and lowered her head for a closer inspection. Her eyes lit up.

"Hey! Did anyone notice this?" her voice summoned both Haru and Kankuro's attention, as well as a nearby forensic specialist. She pointed accordingly and the three men manoeuvred inwards for a closer inspection.

A lock of hair was present within the rubble. It was a pale brown colour and matched the debris almost indefinitely, which might have explained why it had gone unnoticed.

"You've got a good eye," Haru sounded impressed. "I would never have noticed that." He motioned out of the way so that the forensic specialist could extract the follicle accordingly and slip it into a plastic case.

"It could be that it belongs to one of the victims," the specialist responded as he sealed the case. "But we'll get this analysed for you as soon as possible." He then proceeded to study the counter again, potentially just in case.

Kankuro changed the subject. "So…what's this I hear about bullets?"

"Oh…a couple of the specialists identified a few cages," he ushered the two officers across the floor. A specialist had just finished sealing something away and had risen from his crouched position on the floor. "I couldn't tell you if they match the ones from the previous scene, but if they do, at least you'll know you're dealing with the same people…"

She trailed off listening to officer Haru then, certain that Kankuro would absorb the information regardless and tell her later. She didn't bother excusing herself, knowing that her partner would most likely reunite with her later. In turn, she motioned away from the main floor and proceeded towards the areas that Haru had not shown them to as of yet. There were forensic staff members everywhere, although she suspected that they had been there for much longer and were merely double-checking themselves before departing.

She entered into an adjoining corridor. The walls were pretty much the same, paved with the same unusual markings printed in blood. Up ahead of her, a couple of specialists were snapping photos of another dead body.

"…What do you think it means?" one stated as his camera flashed again.

"Dunno…some sort of warning, perhaps?" the second responded.

"I tell ya', these people get sicker and sicker everyday."

Temari removed her badge from her jacket pocket again. "What is it you've found there?" she intervened, holding her badge face forwards. The two characters glanced towards her, acknowledging her badge briefly before granting her observation.

"It's that wound of his," the specialist with the camera responded. "It doesn't look normal, does it?"

The dead body – excluding the one she had seen with its head ripped off – had to be the most heinous she had seen so far. There was a pronounced bullet wound in the centre of his forehead, indicating that he had most likely died instantly. However, what was most unusual was that the skin of his arms and his torso had been completely mangled. His arms were drenched in stale blood, but the most prominent feature of the carcass in question was the well-defined markings that had been carved into his chest. She lowered herself to floor and blinked. Had it not been for the blood, then she might have missed it, but she was sure that the markings in questions had been fashioned into some sort of symbol. It was the type of thing that she would usually associate with a serial killer or a cult, as some sacrificial leverage. But this had not been present at the last scene, and from what she had seen already, this body stood alone. But the more she scrutinised the strange markings, the more she suddenly began to feel uncomfortable. Her face fell white. Because she was sure that she'd seen that symbol somewhere before.

**TBC **


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Dear loyal readers. Please expect a delay between this chapter and the next one. I have just started back at university; I am in my final year, which means that my workload is going to be huge. As I've said on many occasions, I have every intention of finishing this story; it's all planned out. All my freetime, however, is going to be zapped for a while so please bare this in mind. With that said, thank you for the reviews, the praise and the dedication. I really appreciate it. Here's the latest chapter for you all**.

* * *

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**Chapter Nine**

"What did you find?" Chouji's voice was calm, while his tiny eyes focused through the darkness at the situation beneath them.

In the meantime, the recent arrival settled himself adjacent to the enquirer in question, perching himself on the edge of the rooftop, also peering down into the fray. "It was definitely the Hyuuga," came Sai's response. "I can smell them."

"Shikamaru won't be happy about this," the larger lycan shook his head. He was disappointed that their group had not arrived in time. After all, they had made quick work of crossing from the docks into the city, but by the time they had arrived upon the rooftop, the police had been everywhere – sirens had been glinting in the street; survivors had been fleeing, and bystanders were flocking to the scene to watch. It would seem that whatever had happened, had happened quickly. No doubt, the Hyuuga had caught everyone – human and lycan alike – off guard and massacred them mercilessly.

There was a small silence. It seemed that every member of their gathered group was glaring at the scene, all mutely paying tribute to the lives that had clearly been lost. The Full Moon had been something of a regular for them, and even though, they could not account for survivors, it had manifested like an immediate loss anyway. The vampires had significantly repaid them for their intrusion at the Old Mill.

"While I was down there, I also, detected a few foreign scents," Sai continued. "I don't think the Hyuuga were alone in their attack."

"Allies," Chouji responded. It would not be unusual. The lycans themselves had spent the better part of a few decades acquiring allegiances for such an uprising. Now that they had come out of hiding, it was to be expected that the vampires would be calling in all their favours as well.

The animation still fervent in the streets, Chouji rose to the full of his height. "We should head back," he spoke. The other lycans who they had assembled, nodded in understanding before one by one, they proceeded to scamper along the rooftops in the direction of the docks.

Sai spared Chouji a knowing look. His pallid features were drawn in seriousness, before both lycans joined the minority on their journey back towards their destination

* * *

"Nervous, vampire?" the coarse voice spoke to her. "Got something to hide?"

She averted her eyes almost immediately as the lycan's chestnut hues confidently bore into her own transparent ones the subsequent evening. She did not respond, certain that her expression – her mannerisms – were already giving her away, though she was sure she could hear the smugness in his tone and note the self-assurance in his stance.

The lycan – the very same lycan whom she had encountered on various occasions - was situated opposite her within the room. Not too long ago, he had come to acquire her from her cell and had incidentally ushered her along the corresponding corridors of their facility towards a room that was very much unlike the others. The room resembled the wheelhouse of a ship, however, there was no steering wheel present, any chairs were in disrepair and any buttons and nozzles that were present looked far too ancient to be in working order. She could see over the horizon through the large windows. They were fairly high up and she could see out across the ocean, but the skies were relatively pitch-black – the moon was almost nonexistent.

He had not taken the liberty of tying her to a chair this time, even though her body had been revitalised and thus her strength had returned. She was sure, however, that they did not trust her still, but were certain that she would not try to escape again. In a sense, they were correct. She had already offered to aid them in their conquest to retrieve the Byakugan. If it would stop the war and unite vampires and lycans alike, then she would keep her word.

At the same time, however, she realised that it was dangerous. To potentially go against her own family was blasphemy. If and when her father found out, he would surely hear no reason of her actions, nor would he even attempt to understand if she was given the opportunity to explain herself. She half wondered how her cousin and her best friend would take the news: Neji, who had always sought to protect her, and Tenten, who had stood at her side like a rock. Would they condemn her as well? She shivered at the thought. After all, what she was doing was almost treacherous. She should expect them to be disappointed in her. And what if it all went wrong again. She had allowed herself to be taken in place of her sister, only to be captured. Her sister was dead because of her. And the lycan were seemingly so desperate for this object – this Byakugan – that was somehow connected to her family. What if them obtaining it would _not_ stop the violence – stop the war – as she had hoped, but spawn even more of the sort…or worse?

Her hand immediately flew to her chest and beneath her clothing, she could feel the solid sphere that was her mother's necklace. She cast her gaze at the ground ahead of her, mind reminiscent of the woman she had come to love and respect – the woman who's memory had contributed to her inner desire to put an end to it all. Because surely she was doing the right thing. She was still alive after all – if not barely - which meant that there was still hope in her cause, wasn't there? Perhaps if she continued to push to the surface, she might be able to cause a change – make both sides see that the fighting was pointless. Maybe her being with the lycan was the start of this inaugurated revolution. For as long as she was determined: as long as she had hope…

But the moment her eyes manoeuvred from the ground towards the being that was stationed ahead of her, was the moment the hope proceeded to wane. She knew that it would be brave of her to meet his gaze for gaze – to show the lycan that she was not afraid of him - but there was something within his eyes that made her feel inferior. It was clear that the lycan were not fond of her kind – she had seen firsthand that the werewolves were not averse to showing their hatred by ripping her kind apart. But there was something more about this particular lycanthrope; it was as if the vampire-lycan battle was personal for him.

She gripped onto the object beneath her clothing and gulped; her throat had run dry, but she was keen to ask. Her mouth parted – her lips quivered – and she chose her words carefully. "Why…?" she inhaled silently, forcing herself to meet his gravitational gaze. "Why do…your kind…hate vampires so much?"

She heard the low growl within his throat, but his stare did not falter. "You're trying my patience, vampire," came the response. "Don't pretend that you don't know."

"But I…" she gasped as the throaty growl intensified. She could tell that it was taking him virtually all of his inner strength not to rip her apart. Because of that, she wondered what it was that was so terrible that her kind could have done to them. In all her life, she had only known the surface of the vampire world, where the Hyuuga were almost like a royal family, honoured by many. It was difficult to perceive them as any different, however, she had been to the Old Mill and she had seen what her family were really capable of. Clearly, they too were at fault. Her brows softened. "I'm…sorry." She continued, timidly. "…I'm sorry if…"

"I don't want your pity, vampire!" the lycan snapped his interruption. "_You're_ lucky to be alive."

Hinata inhaled again. Her hand fell from her chest and found solace in the after one. "Sorry…" she muttered and then gasped again at her own words, sure that the lycan would retaliate. He did not, but she could still feel him looking at her. She decided to try again. "…I just thought that…considering we'd be…working together…I…"

"_Working together_?" There was disbelief in his tone, shortly coupled with contempt. "I think you're confused, vampire. We're _not_ working together at all. You're still a prisoner…and that's only until you wear out your usefulness. Whether your useful, though, has yet to be seen."

She lowered her head at his words, closing her mouth in order to silence any more questions or comments that would contribute to the lycan's anger. It _had_ been rather bold of her to suggest that she had become somewhat favourable within the lycan stronghold. She suspected that they'd sooner tear her to pieces had she not appeared to be of some use, but she knew – beneath all her fear and anxiety – that she had to try. She had come this far.

She sensed an additional presence as it slid into the doorway of the room and lifted her head up to sight another lycan whom she had never seen before. "Shikamaru and the others have gone ahead to the warehouse," the stranger spoke. "He said we're to meet him there."

For the first time since he'd brought her there, her prison guard glanced away from her and towards the doorway. "What about the van?" he queried.

"It's ready," came the response.

The next thing she knew, she was being ushered from the room by the two lycans and along yet another adjoining corridor; this one sloped downwards slightly, however. She had been half tempted to ask where they were taking her, but thought better of it. She was sure that she would find out soon enough.

She felt the cool breeze before they led her through a doorway into what resembled a cave-like tunnel. It had been a while since she'd tasted fresh air, but it was not at all welcoming. The area was virtually dark, but the sloshing of the sea was close by, and it wasn't long at all before the very waters themselves sailed into view and the city docks fell into fruition. Her feet manoeuvred from gravel to wood and shortly, they began the ascent along the docks to higher ground. No one was about. This was to be expected – these docks in question were not renowned for attracting attention, but were more or less used by local fisherman or lone seamen looking for a quiet port to set sail from. On the hill overhead, however, she took note of a few stragglers standing around what appeared to be a large black van. She was lead right to them.

* * *

The journey was swift considering that the vehicle in question was carrying six passengers – two in front and four in the back; Kiba was amongst the latter. During the trip, no one spoke with anyone else. He supposed it was in order to prohibit the prisoner from finding out anything more about them than she already would: anything that she might be able to use against them later if and when the time arose. It did not mean he didn't catch them glancing in her general direction, however – because though he could not physically read their minds, he could almost sense their thoughts through their expressions. They were all curious, perhaps all attempting to make sense of Shikamaru's sudden interest in the vampire, and whether she could be trusted or not. Kiba, nevertheless, stood firmly with his beliefs. There wasn't a vampire alive that could be trusted. They were all better off dead.

But as his thoughts wondered to the night's event, he could not help but ponder over their prisoner. It had already been established that she was unlike the others. She was timid and void of bloodlust, seemingly soft of heart and of voice. She was a nervous character, demonstrating qualities that one might associate with a human woman more than anything else. And she had even attempted to offer sympathy. Kiba's face tightened at the thought. Her apology had been patronising; it had been enough to send an awkward tremor along his spine – one saturated in fury. Because he was convinced that the prisoner was up to something. Vampires were not compassionate individuals; they were merciless – built for battle. He had seen it time and time again. This was why he was so adamant and refused to believe that any good could come of using this vampire. For now, however, the only thing he could trust was Shikamaru's judgement. Because the moment the vampire betrayed them, was the moment that he would take her life himself.

They arrived within a half hour and Kiba made sure that he was the last one to depart from the vehicle, directly behind the vampiress. As per usual, the surrounding area was vacant and quiet, excluding the soft hum of the van as the engine had yet to fall silent. No sooner were five of them on solid ground once again, they momentarily watched as the vehicle pulled away and sailed towards the end of the road, before turning towards the large metal fence that bordered the warehouse.

They moved in an unintended military fashion – the prisoner situated in the middle of their herd. Kiba, himself, made sure to keep himself at the rear, his eyes firmly fixed on the smaller form that was the vampire, as they meandered towards the building. Though he could not see her facial expression, he listened for her reactions as they entered into the warehouse. Her breathing had somewhat intensified – similar to her behaviour when they had first interrogated her. Every once in a while, she would attempt to ease it, but he was already aware of her nerves; they all were.

Bypassing their hideout's surface image, they progressed towards the only door within the building that was still intact, before beginning the descent down the familiar staircase. Kiba's ears pricked at the sounds that were apparent beneath; he could already sense that a gathering was present. No sooner had they entered into the basement area, however, was no sooner that the gathered individuals in question seemingly all fell quiet. Their eyes immediately fell towards the five new characters, but Kiba could tell that the silence wasn't in acknowledgement of their fellow lycan brethren, but of the creature with whom they had arrived with. He heard the vampire gulp as they stopped in the doorway, but it was Shikamaru, alongside Naruto, who came to greet them.

"Good! You're here," spoke the brown-haired lycan, as some of the congregation proceeded to whisper amongst themselves. "Sakura's running late, but we'll have to begin without her." He did not need to beckon, as he crossed towards the head of the room.

The vampire took a step back; he wondered if the prospect of being surrounded by so many lycan was positively mortifying for her. In turn, he pressed the back of his hand into her back and ushered her forwards. She stumbled somewhat and seemingly shrunk under the gaze of some of their smirking brethren. Incidentally, however, she motioned forwards and followed Shikamaru.

As Kiba proceeded to manoeuvre after her, he caught Naruto's troubled expression. He was glancing over the masses. "You haven't seen Konohamaru, have you?" he whispered to the brunette. "I told him about the vampire and then later, he kinda disappeared."

Kiba rolled his eyes. He understood the relationship between Naruto and Konohamaru. They had a friendship very similar, though not as powerful as Shikamaru and Chouji – the big lug had situated himself on a crater towards the front of the room. In a sense, the blond almost felt responsible for the other, but Kiba also, knew that the younger lycan had trouble following orders. If he was absent without a reason, he imagined Sakura would give him a rollicking tomorrow. Fortunately, for the younger lycan, however, she was not here yet either, and currently, the actual meeting itself took priority. Shikamaru glanced towards the prisoner and as if there were words in his expression, she halted where she stood; Kiba situated himself next to her. Before Shikamaru could officially begin the meeting, nonetheless, a member of the audience took the opportunity to speak.

"Why is she not on a leash?" the character spoke. The lycan in question was a rather muscular individual with dangerous eyes.

"She is not a threat to us right now," Shikamaru responded, coolly.

"Awww, and here I thought we were gonna see some bloodshed." There was genuine disappointment in his tone. A few of the surrounding lycans murmured in amusement.

"This isn't about that," Shikamaru responded. "This meeting was called for something completely different. I need you all to be open minded."

This caused a few murmurs of confusion.

"You are all correct in what you've heard," the brown-haired lycan continued. "We have captured this vampire, but it seems that she is not like the others." Kiba snorted silently as Shikamaru continued. "For she has agreed to help us locate the Byakugan."

As expected, the entire room lapsed into chatter. Kiba side-glanced the vampire; as expected, she looked absolutely horrified.

"A vampire?"

"Help us?"

"How do you know she can be trusted?"

"Obviously we can't be sure of that, but she had proved to be useful…" Shikamaru started, but was swiftly interrupted by another barrage of sceptical chatter.

"Lies!"

"Vampires are only useful dead,"

"I refuse to believe…"

"Believe it!" Chouji's voice was louder than usual; his voice caused the room to fall into a gradual silence; he had slid off of his crate. It was slightly unnerving to hear the larger lycan speak so passionately, but his loyalty to his comrade was unrivalled. Though his face sported resilience – as if he had more to say – it was Sai's calm tenor that continued.

"She predicted that her kind would attack the Full Moon club," the pale-faced lycan spoke. "Myself and Chouji witnessed the aftermath."

The room progressed into a milder form of chatter this time; the vampire shuddered briefly on the spot.

"It was probably a trap."

"It's likely they planned this from the beginning."

"You're a fool, Shikamaru; you've damned us all."

"Come now!" Chouji intercepted once more. "We should all try to look outside the box!"

This caused the talk of uncertainties to escalate. Kiba located the brief onset of irritation on Shikamaru's face. The lycan in question eventually spoke up, however.

"I agree!" he began, his own voice much louder this time; the crowds proceeded to settle somewhat, curious as to what he had to say for himself. "It _is_ risky; this entire uprising is risky". His voice settled into its usual pitch. "But what you need to understand is that this war was born of free will, just like this vampire initially came to us of her own free will. We have detained her for several days now and she has not had any contact with her kind whatsoever. I'm not trying to justify her actions – we are still suspicious of her and she will be closely monitored – but while she has agreed to help us, we will accept that aid until further notice."

A few lycans shook their heads in disbelief; some turned to their neighbours and proceeded to speak in hushed tones once again; none were really too thrilled at the news. Once again, Kiba's eyes slanted towards the vampire. She had long since stopped juddering, but with the way she was rooted on the spot, he could tell that she was tense. Her eyes were once again cast at the floor; her hands were held together over her lower torso; her face was a characteristic white – even more-so than Sai – and it looked as if she was willing herself to mentally disappear from the scenario.

Kiba wanted to be smug. Every bone in his body was telling him that seeing a vampire like that should be self-gratifying and yet he could not seem to enjoy it. The vampire looked pathetic; it should have been amusing. And yet…

"…So what if…this vampire…did predict the Full Moon massacre," the interjection of another lycan interrupted his thoughts. This lycan was smaller than the others and looked as if he'd have no trouble at all disappearing in a crowd. "Did she mention a motive?"

"According to the vampire, the Hyuuga are a prideful coven," explained Shikamaru. A disturbance in the air soon alerted Kiba's attention and when he glanced in the designated direction, he saw that Sakura had finally arrived and was proceeding to slink through the crowd towards the front.

Shikamaru continued. "It's likely it was a retaliation to our ambush at the Old Mill. But it could also, be a response to the abduction of this vampire and her sibling. I wanted to test the Hyuuga – see whether they had loyalties." He folded his arms; his expression was pensive. "Now I'm not so sure."

"A massacre is a massacre whatever the motive," another individual spoke up. "I wanna know where we're gonna strike next!"

There was a loud cheer amongst the masses; the vampire flinched again. In amongst the noise, Sakura had managed to breech the front of the room where Shikamaru was stationed. Most of the lycan gathering were wrapped up in joyous appraisals that none seemed to pay attention to the pink-haired female as she positioned her lips close to Shikamaru's ear. Kiba's ears were keen, however – sharp enough to hear the sentence through the noise.

"I've located Gaara," she uttered.

* * *

He pinched the bridge of his nose with a pasty finger and thumb, keen to alleviate the oncoming migraine that had been threatening elevation since the start of the evening. It had been a few days since their attack on the lycan stronghold and there had been no disturbances or retaliations so far. This should have been pleasing news, but the coven leader had many concerns. He was well-accomplished at keeping a straight face in the presence of others; to them it would seem as if nothing bothered him. But during those small moments, when he'd find himself alone, he would often drop that steel barrier that was his guard and allow the stress of the moment to momentarily consume him – allow his thoughts to wonder towards the demons that would not allow his mind to rest.

For Hiashi was well aware that there were things to come. It pained him to think it, but their enemies were not at all that different from the Hyuuga in that respect – their pride was gratuitous; they would find a way to attack them at some point; he expected that their attack would be indirect this time – neither side wanted to lose anymore members. What was more, was that they had yet to receive any word on the shipment of silver bullets that they were expecting. He suspected, however, that they would have to be patient. Hiashi had ordered over ten thousand bullets this time around and realised that compiling a shipment at such short notice would take time. Lastly, he had also, had Neji, personally assemble a unit to search for his daughters as a side mission; to find out anything he could possibly find on the status or even the location of either daughter. He suspected that they were already dead, but each night, Neji had returned with nothing. The elder Hyuuga simply hated when things did not run smoothly.

There was a rap upon the door of the parlour and Hiashi dropped his hand from his nose immediately and tilted his head in the direction of the doorway. Without his say so, the door was opened anyway and a nervous looking Branch member slid into the room.

"What is it?" he tone was abrupt.

She kept her eyes on the ground beneath her as she lowered her head momentarily. "My apologies, Hiashi-sama, but Sasuke-sama has returned with something that you might find of interest; they are waiting in the main hall."

Though his interest piqued, his expression remained neutral. "Very well," he excused the female with a wave of his hand and slowly began the process of manoeuvring from the parlour and into the hallway.

Ever since he had welcomed them into his house, the members of the Oto Coven had taken the opportunity to come and go as they pleased. If times hadn't been so dyer, he might have considered it to be rude, but he understood that considering their old residence was now overrun with lycan, it would be crucial for them to acquire any necessary information that might help them to take it bsck. They were all fighting the same war, but there were many battles within it. To know, however, that they had returned with something that might contribute to the Hyuuga's own battle, however, dictated to Hiashi that while they were devoted to themselves, they also, possessed avid loyalties to the Hyuuga as had been figuratively written when they had formed their alliance.

The doors to the main hall were already open when he'd arrived. He crossed into the large room in question – it had previously served as the stage for the recent engagement event – and came to find that several individuals – including the manor's recently acquired allies - were situated within. A few Hyuuga members – Branch and Main - were dotted around the room, sporting both curious and yet tense glances towards the centre where Sasuke – naturally stoic - stood with his arms folded: his profile apparent; the fiery haired vampiress stood beside him with her back facing towards the coven leader and opposite, Sasuke was his silver-haired comrade, who was violently kicking at something, whice Hiashi eventually realised was an individual huddled on the ground in a heap. The vampire seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself, even as the whimpers escaped the victim on the floor.

It was Sasuke's acknowledgement of the elder Hyuuga that ceased the violent antics, however.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hiashi asked; he approached the threesome, but halted somewhat as he sensed the foreign presence that was situated amongst them. The female altered her position so that he could see clearly who it was that was crippled on the floor. He nearly hissed at the sight.

The being in question was a physical wreck. Every ounce of skin that was visible seemed to be covered in the entity's own blood with various cuts and gashes decorated in a disorganised chaos. The clothes he had adorned were in tatters; what was left of a t-shirt barely had one of its arms intact and his trousers almost barely covered his shame; all of it was also, covered in his own blood. There was a nasty wound etched across his forehead, which disappeared into an array of tangled brow locks; it looked as if a few clumps of hair had been ripped out in the process. And one of his legs looked positively mangled; it was likely that the bone had been shattered; any shoes that may have once been were missing. He met Hiashi's eyes with a look riddled with many emotions; agony, anticipation, fear, loathing. His breathing was erratic and he seemed to be clutching a wound in his shoulder where a few ounces of blood had leaked already. The coven leader glared down at him intently, for the being in question was clearly a lycan.

"He was found him scouting rooftops not to far from here," Sasuke explained.

"It's very rare that lycans travel alone so we decided to intercept," continued the redhead.

"Damn fool!" The marine-eyed vampire kicked the creature again; the lycan whimpered. "Walked right into our trap."

"Why would you bring it here?" Hiashi asked neutrally, lifting his gaze towards the others as if the lycan's presence had completely disappeared.

"We pitted him against Karin at first in anticipation that he might drop his guard," Sasuke explained; Hiashi heard a tiniest hiss escape the redhead's lips as she glanced towards the lycan.

"This one seemed pretty sure of himself," Karin progressed. "Started asking questions about the Hyuuga _and_ the Byakugan."

"Didn't even seem to sense that we were waiting in the wings," the silver-haired vampire sneered.

"Needless to say, he was easily detained," continued Sasuke, calmly. "We thought you might want to interrogate him personally." Hiashi hadn't noticed it until now, but there was a gun wedged neatly in his grasp beneath a folded arm.

Hiashi's gaze motioned from the vampires towards the lycan. His eyes lingered for a short while before he gestured with his hands towards the Hyuuga members of the accord. All, very much used to their master's mannerisms, proceeded to head towards the entrance of the room. No sooner had the last few members disappeared through them, was when the doors themselves fell to a close also; Hiashi expected, however, that a few would remain outside as a precautionary measure, but the coven leader highly doubted that the creature would make much trouble for them. All that remained were the five of them.

Hiashi began. "You there!" he addressed the lycan. "I'm not a compassionate individual – least of all to your kind – but if you tell me everything you know, I might just allow your death to be swift."

Though his breathing was still uneven, his brows lowered and his face sported disbelief. "I'll never tell you anything!" the lycan retorted.

Hiashi slanted his gaze towards the marine-hued vampire; he seemed to take it as a directive and he instantly, took it upon himself to drum his foot on the fractured leg of the lycan. The creature howled in agony, his eyes spiralling briefly into the back of his head. Hiashi detected the onset of a transformation, but the momentary ripples across his flesh dematerialised. It seemed as if the pain of his circumstance was hindering any chances of him transforming fully.

"I already know that you're after the Byakugan," Hiashi continued, impassively. "I even believe I'm aware of your motives. It would be interesting to know where you comrades plan to strike next."

The lycan's eyes bore angrily into the coven leader - a throaty growl fell between his teeth – but he said nothing. This time, the silver-haired vampire decided by himself to deliver him pain by planting his foot on the lycan's wounded shoulder where he pressed it into both his hand and the wound beneath it. The creature's cry was agonising.

"Take it easy, Suigetsu!" barked Karin. "We need him alive!"

"Ah, these guys can take a beating," the named vampire responded, shrugging off the comment.

"I…don't care…what you…do to me…," the lycan managed between gasps. "I won't…ever…tell you…what we're…planning…but you'll find out…soon enough." He then chuckled between pants and as Hiashi glared down at him, he felt his own anger heighten. Because, in actuality, as he stared down at the smirking lycan, he couldn't help but believe him. The lycan loyalties were strong, it would seem; they would get nowhere with him.

"It's staining my floor," Hiashi turned his back on the lycan, proceeding towards the entrance. "Get rid of it. I think you wasted your time with this one."

"As you wish…" the one name Suigetsu seemed rather keen. He had retrieved a gun from a hostler that he had fashioned inside of his jacket.

"…Don't you…wanna even…," the lycan panted. "…Know about…the vampires…we kidnapped?"

Hiashi stopped and he heard the lycan chuckle, triumphantly.

"So you guys…do feel…huh?" The remark was followed by another yelp.

Suigetsu had kicked him again. "Get on with it!"

His breathing was harsher. "They were…so weak…," the lycan began. Hiashi's eyes narrowed, but he held himself well and allowed the lycan to continue. "Couldn't even…attempt an escape." The lycan chuckled between breaths; it seemed that to do so was painful for him. "I heard that…they nearly…ripped one…of them to…pieces: that she was so…_desperate_…to escape." Another pause. "In the end…," he half chuckled again. "She killed…h…herself…stupid vampire…didn't expect the…daylight." Hiashi gritted his teeth in his mouth. "And the other one…hehe…no one was expecting…what she had…to offer. Promised to…join us." For the first time in many years, Hiashi's expression faltered; there was prominent rage interlinked with disbelief written on his face.

"Ha! Probably…scared to die." The lycan muttered. "That's probably…why she's so…willing to help us."

"What was her name, lycan?" It was Sasuke who spoke.

"Tch…how am I 'spose to…,"

"I already know," Hiashi spoke aloud; he'd turned his head and gaze back towards the doors, his back facing the audience. "Kill it! It no longer has any use for us."

"As you wish," Suigetsu spoke eagerly. Hiashi heard a slight click and imagined that the vampire in question had just cocked his weapon. "Any last words lycan?"

There was a smile in the creature's tone. "Heh…imagine that…Sarutobi Konohamaru…actually found…the Hyuuga…household…" he said. "I'll be…a legend."

"Not for long," the sentence was followed by a loud bang as the bullet left the gun and sailed into the flesh of the victim. He heard the body fall to the ground with a thud and a foul smell even greater than a lycan filled the air. Hiashi did not flinch.

"So who is it?" Sasuke's cool tone queried again.

Hiashi exhaled silently. "It's Hinata." He spoke in confirmation. "It seems that she has defected." Though his tone registered a businesslike conduct, his mind was ablaze with many things – disbelief, confusion, horror, disappointment. For it had to be Hinata. Only Hanabi would fight her way to freedom. He suspected that any methods of torture they may have used on her had done nothing to sway her – to weaken her. But the way, she had died: subjected to daylight. He supposed that if she had had to die, then he would have preferred that as oppose to perishing at the hands of the lycan scum. But Hinata? He was appalled at her – even moreover than usual. She had always been the family's black sheep – the family's shame – and now through her disloyalty – of joining up with the lycan to potentially save herself – she had become a disgrace.

"What do you propose?" Sasuke spoke again.

His lips thinned. There was every chance that it was a ploy, of course. She could have been dead as well, but the lycan seemed insistent on telling him what had become of his daughters – as if that tiny bit of information would be enough to unsettle him. It had worked, and his eyebrows lowered at the thought; his jaw tightened. Because he knew his daughter; Hinata had always been compliant – never one to speak out of turn and always doing as she was told. It would not surprise him that the intimidating factors of many lycan might force her to submit. But to save herself and go against her own kind – her own family – was almost unthinkable. Had locking her away from the truth for so long omitted her loyalties or was this just a rebellion? Whatever the case, she had made her choice and therefore, he would make his.

"I want you to send the word out," his voice was neutral. "Hinata and any lycan are to be killed on sight."

**TBC**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay folks. It has been a while - I think roughly two/three months now, but my university obligations are so great right now and it's only because it's the Christmas season that I've found some time to finish this chapter. I hope it's adequate. Please expect another lengthy delay however. My apologies.

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

"So the results are in," Kankuro entered into the joint office the subsequent afternoon holding a folder full of documents. He slid into his chair and proceeded to remove a few of the files, rifling through them swiftly. "That bullet we found is a match apparently. At least we know that the two scenes are linked."

His partner was stationed behind her desk, fingers tapping away continuously, just as he had left her before he had gone for a break. He had noticed that ever since their last investigation at the club, she had allowed the work to consume her. He supposed that it shouldn't have been surprising. Temari was an avid workaholic and whenever she had a hunch about something, she would not let up until she was able to put together the pieces. Her only source of acknowledgement was a quiet grunt and a nod of the head as her fingers drilled a course along the keys. The brown-haired detective shook his head somewhat, setting a few of the exposed documents on his desk. One of them caught his eye.

"Also, that hair follicle you found," he spoke. His partner inclined her head slightly, but her eyes were still focused on the screen. "It was untraceable."

Temari manoeuvred her head back to its original position. "A synthetic fibre, perhaps?" she queried.

"That's the thing," came the response. "It gave off all the readings of a typical human hair, but what's strange is that, apparently, the follicle's over fifty years old." An annoyed sigh escaped through his lips as he leaned back into his chair. "I dunno. None of this is adding up. What would an old man be doing in a club like that? And it didn't match any of the victims either. I mean I thought we'd just had a breakthrough by linking the two scenes, but it seems like we've taken two steps back as usual."

The room fell silent for a while and it lead Kankuro to question whether his sister had heard what he had said. He spoke up again. "What are you doing anyway?"

"Research!" The blonde responded.

"On what?"

"That symbol I found – at the last crime scene – I'm trying to trace it,"

"Oh…that…"

"Did you manage to find anything?"

"Not particularly – sounds like another wild goose chase to me," Kankuro spoke; his tone was bored. "I mean, come on! It's probably just some sick, twisted murderer trying to make his mark. It's nothing we haven't seen before."

"…I'm not…so sure…" he heard her fingers strike a key a little harder than usual and consequently, the printer on her desk proceeded to whirr into action. Kankuro's brows furrowed. "I've been working on it for a couple of days now – trying to isolate a source - but I think I've found something."

He sat up and rose out of his chair at that one. "Really?" he was curious. Again, it shouldn't have been surprising. Even if Temari was wrong, her searches usually concluded somewhere. He strode across the room towards his sister's desk and saw as she slid her fingers over the printed sheet and handed it to him. He glanced at the symbol briefly – this one boldly imprinted in black ink in contrast to the bloody mess he had seen on the body – before deviating his attention to the computer screen. On it, Temari had accessed a piece of text – the very same which was being printed. The writing itself was old and handwritten, making it very difficult to read; it was as if an old piece of parchment that had been scanned onto whatever database she had found it on.

Temari continued. "A few hundred years ago, this symbol was a crest belonging to an ancient noble family – the name of that family is unknown. My sources tell me, however, that they were once highly regarded, but were evidently driven out because of treachery. Since then, their family line virtually disappeared. There are no records of them after 1604AD. No pictures. No nothing. Nobody knows if they were executed or whether they just simply died out."

"Yeah, but what relevance does this have to the crime scene?"

"Well…I was thinking there might be a link…"

Kankuro ran a hand through his hair. His expression was quizzical.

"Well, there might be," Temari pressed, undeterred by her brother. "It's not unusual for people to mysteriously disappear, only to appear several dozen years later."

"I don't know...it just seems a bit _too_ much like a conspiracy theory," Kankuro explained. "And right now, we need cold, hard facts. I mean, where did you find that symbol in the first place? You said you'd seen it from somewhere before, right?"

He noticed his sister twitch awkwardly. "Well..." she eventually began. "I found it on a website...dedicated to..._vampires_..."

Kankuro's eyes widened; his lips parted in disbelief. He could not believe he was hearing correctly. Had his sister just said what he'd thought he'd heard? He opened his mouth to retaliate, but she intervened.

"I know what you're thinking..."

"Good!" He snapped. "Then you know that your search has been a complete waste of time. I mean, Temari. You of all people?" He manoeuvred from his station at her desk back towards his own, for he was unable to look at her. "You know that the internet is useless and this _vampire_ stuff...don't tell me, you actually _believe_ that old women from the bar?"

"I'm not sure what I believe anymore, Kankuro," Temari pressed a finger and thumb into her forehead and massaged the location where a headache was threatening to appear. "I mean, you didn't hear what she said to me...and I know...it's completely off the mark, completely unlike me, but I feel like...I have a hunch."

"A hunch isn't good enough!" His voice was louder than he'd anticipated.

"Don't you think I know that?" Temari's voice exploded and her brother was confronted by the full force of her fury; she was not one to be talked down to. "Don't you think that I've been questioning everything? I mean, all this evidence that we're finding; none of it seems to make sense, none of it seems to link. Nothing is pointing us in the right direction, which is why I decided to consider other options. I mean, what have _you_ contributed to this investigation, huh?" He flinched at this statement. "What research have you looked into? This partnership has always been one-sided and you know it?"

"Now that's not fair," Kankuro retorted; he swivelled around to face her; she had arisen from her seat, her arms folded across her chest, indicating her irritation. "You've always had to go that one step further. I mean, face it Temari. You're always working, always looking, always doing something. I'm starting to think that maybe this isn't even about the case. Maybe it's about something else."

Temari's lips tightened; her eyes dictated displeasure. No words surfaced as she tilted her head away from him.

Kankuro's voice softened. "It's about that time, isn't it?" He exhaled, knowing very well that his sister had never truly gotten over it, even though many a time, she had expressed otherwise.

He had wondered whether she had been up to the task – most of it said in jest even though his concern had been genuine. He had been watching his sister even though she probably hadn't noticed – watching her reactions at the crime scenes – because _that time_ resembled those scenes. Blood stained walls and strange markings – he remembered it clearly; he knew that he would never forget it either. But while he, himself, was better equipped to deal with it, he wasn't so sure about his sister. "Temari..."

"This has nothing to do with that time," the blonde interrupted. The fact that both her head and gaze remained averted implied differently. "I just...I just..."

There was a sudden rap upon their office door, which caused both individuals to glance towards the object in question. Temari verbally beckoned the individual to enter and the door was opened, presenting one of the admin staff carrying an envelope that very much resembled the one they had received before – the one that lead them to the dingy bar and the crazy old woman.

"Another message for you," the admin stated. He presented the envelope to Temari before disappearing from the room. The lettering on the front was also, a rough match to what had been written before.

"What's it saying this time?" Kankuro asked. He tried to withhold his lack of enthusiasm. He was sure it was that old woman again.

The blonde withdrew the message and scanned it briefly. She lifted her eyes and gazed towards her partner. "It's an address," she responded. "A new one."

* * *

"This is it?" Naruto's voice questioned as they stepped out of the vehicle and onto solid ground. The air was cold that night, so much so that the female werewolf that was accompanying him drew her coat around herself.

"Yes," came her annoyed response as a stream of cold air tugged at her clothing. "Now try to keep quiet. He might be expecting us."

"Is there a chance, he might have already left then?" the blond lycan queried, scratching his head.

"Nah! I doubt it," Kiba's voice sauntered from the outside of the vehicle. When he emerged alongside the others, the pale-faced vampire was situated ahead of him – her eyes cast on the ground as was her usual demeanour.

For a while now, she had been very useful to their cause, he would have to admit. Every significant lycan location – whether a community building or residential facility – had been evacuated or properly guarded because of her input. She has successfully managed to predict the movements of her vampire brethren in order for them to remain one step ahead. This had resulted in the least amount of bloodshed – much to Shikamaru and Sakura's satisfaction, but Kiba and Naruto's chagrin – but had also, seen to it that the pride that was obvious amongst the vampire race had been well and truly downsized. At the same, time, however, while her input had been noteworthy, he still didn't trust her. None of them did really. She was still locked away like any other prisoner, but sustained on the blood of dying animals instead of humans. It might have explained why she appeared a little more gaunt than usual – he was aware that, while they were supposed to be keeping their existence a secret from the humans, there were still some who fed on them regularly. He no longer needed to be rough with her nonetheless. She was extremely obedient and would go where she was told, but the brash brunette was waiting for that one moment when she decided to defy them - that one moment where she'd set a foot wrong – because when that time came, he'd be ready for her.

"I agree," Shikamaru's voice was hushed as he peered up at the rundown apartment building in front of them. The structure was only three storeys high and looked like it had once been an off-the-road hotel for any travellers driving in and out of town. Most of the windows were either blacked out, filthy or broken; a few squares of light indicated that life still resided inside the building nevertheless. The walls, however, were painted with graffiti; the stairs leading into the structure were chipped and worn and even the door of the building itself was hanging awkwardly as if it had one too many times been knocked off its hinges. Shikamaru exhaled. "He won't run. He's not the type."

"Sounds like an adventure, ey Naruto?" Kiba implied with verve. Naruto grinned in agreement, but his grin shortly disappeared as he took note of Sakura's less-than-impressed expression.

"This is not the time for you two to go off flexing your muscles," she hissed at them. "Remember why you're here!"

Kiba snorted at that remark. For he knew very well why they were all there. Shikamaru and Sakura could have done this alone if they'd wanted to, but there was no telling whether Gaara was still as hostile as Shikamaru had described him. Naruto was basically there for backup. It would have been Sai or Chouji in place of Naruto, but the blond had insisted he go; he had implied that it was so he could see Gaara firsthand, but Kiba was sure it had everything to do with the pink-haired lycan and her impending presence; what was so intriguing about Sakura was beyond him, however. As for Kiba, himself, though he would be regarded as additional muscle as well, he knew that he was there because of the vampire. The plan tonight was to try and negotiate an alliance with Gaara and in doing so, they had to prove that in some way or other, they – as a unified lycan group of many decades – had every chance of winning in the war against their vampire nemeses. The proof was the vampires – informed as she was of - who had sworn her allegiance to them. Kiba was also, there to oversee her, just as Shikamaru had asked of him.

They approached the building and no sooner has Kiba passed through the shabby entrance, he was met with the stench of urine and cigarettes. The walls were bare and discoloured, the floors had been tiled, but they too were also, a far cry away from clean. The hallways were half-heartedly lit – where one bulb was bright, another had blown and another was flickering dangerously, threatening to darken the already limited light supply. There was no lift, so the only option was to take the stairs. He followed the group intently, Sakura at the helm and himself at the rear. The vampiress kept her head lowered as they manoeuvred accordingly. They ascended to the second floor.

The corridors were similar to the one below – flickering lights and stained walls; a cobweb had fashioned itself inside the joining of the wall and ceiling; a smooth trail of moisture was gradually trickling downward from a tiny hole onto the ground, creating a small puddle. The group stepped past it and Kiba wrinkled his nose at the smell as it intensified. He attempted to sense passed it, keen to remain aware just in case their target decided to launch an ambush instead. Never in his life had he had to battle another werewolf before. Most were cautious, but rarely hostile to their own kind unless given incentive. Gaara, nevertheless, was a different category of lycan altogether. Shikamaru had described him as a general threat – he did not discriminate. This meant that Kiba could not discriminate either.

Sakura stopped before one of doors. It was a dusty brown colour and, unlike the others, it had no number plate. Only a stodgy outline of residue remained in its place – too far overcast to dictate the actual number. They gathered around the door and Sakura glanced at Shikamaru, who nodded in gesture. Her hand then rose to the door and she rapped upon it three times. They waited in anticipation and Kiba noticed the vampiress suck in her breath.

At first, there was nothing. The door remained unanswered. Again, there was every possibility that he may not have been there, but the impression he was getting from the household dictated otherwise. There was a fresh scent on the door – one that was recent. It did not deviate away from the locale in question which meant that whoever had entered had not left. Whether they were still alive, nonetheless, was questionable. But he could not smell blood – also, of which was questionable. He presumed the others had sensed it too as Sakura lifted her hand again to knock. However, before her hand made contact, she stopped it from doing so and Kiba's hearing stretched through the doorframe in curiosity. For now, he could sense movement as it timidly proceeded towards them.

A tentative shift in the bolts on the door permitted the door to open, but what they saw on the other side was what they all had not expected. A flurry of neck-length brown hair encompassed the face of a young human girl who looked to be no more then on the cusp of late-adolescence. Her dark eyes peered up at them curiously, albeit they displayed a type of coldness that was uncommon. Her hands hung onto the door in an almost supporting method, but it did not seem to be out of fear. She spoke clearly. "Gaara-sama has been expecting you." And she pulled open the door to grant them access.

They glanced amongst each other curiously. If they had been expecting anything, they had not been expecting this. Sakura stepped into the interior, cautiously – her gaze lingered on the human, who glanced nervously away and along the corridor ahead of them. "He is waiting for you there," she gestured, as one by one, they entered into the shabby little apartment.

"What's with the human?" Naruto whispered, when they were slightly out of earshot.

"That's what I want to know," Kiba whispered back.

The blonde sniggered. "Maybe he's got a harem!"

"Be quiet!" Came Sakura's hiss; she glanced at Naruto, who immediately silenced himself again as they manoeuvred through the corridor.

The air was cold and though the interior was not nearly as bad as it was on the outside, it wasn't the homiest of arrangements. It was grey in colour; some of the wallpaper was peeling and there was no carpet, where instead the floorboards were visible and in need of sanding. There was no light in the hallway corridor; the bulbs were missing. There were three closed doors – two on the right and one on the left-hand side of the corridor; all mirrored the same fashion of the front door – brown and aged. The only light that was visible was that which resided in the room at the end of the corridor; this door was wide open and well into the room, Kiba could see into another room where a cooker was present – a kitchen perhaps. As they approached, however, the presence of the additional being became more pronounced.

They entered into a makeshift living room. Like the rest of the house, it wasn't very welcoming. The walls were a beige colour – like the outside corridors, probably due from years of neglect; the floor was a grey marble and in need of dusting. The room was void of much furniture. The only items that were present were a rickety table and chair, a broken bookshelf, a futon and a worn sofa. Upon said sofa, however, was a young man with emerald eyes that were extremely unnerving. No eyebrows were present and his lips were drawn into a frown. An array of short crimson tresses hung from his head and on the left-hand side of his forehead was a rouge tattoo; Kiba couldn't help but think that its meaning was contradictory. He almost snorted, but the red-head's eerie gaze silenced him.

"What do you want?" He was straight to the point, his voice monotonous; his eyes perused focus on each and every one of them. Under the various odours that filled the room, Kiba managed to home in on the faint smell of blood. It was not long before he noticed the bandage wrapped around the redhead's left arm – the lycan had been wounded. He must have realised that it had been noticed, however, because he readjusted his position so that the wound was hidden.

Shikamaru was the one spoke up. "We came to offer you a proposition," he began. "An alliance." As he spoke, the young human girl appeared in the living room and sauntered carefully towards the kitchen. The way in which she moved – using her hands to trace the wall - indicated to Kiba as to why he'd considered her gaze to be cold; the human was blind.

Shikamaru continued. "There is a war coming – I'm sure you are aware as we both have a common enemy – the vampires. And over the years, we have been gathering together in order to face that enemy..." he progressed.

As he proceeded to negotiate, Kiba watched the stray lycan intently. He tried to make sense of him because after all, he was supposed to be hostile. Kiba had expected to see a transformed lycan at the very least – something that he would have to restrain - and yet, instead, he had been confronted with a human – a blind human. Based on that, the brunette had half considered if Naruto's theory was partially true, but the character who Shikamaru had described would have been more suited to walk alone, moving from place to place; moreover, he should have been harder to find. But here he was, situated in his non-transformed state – albeit cautious – listening, calmly. His eyes still sauntered across the small gathering of lycan; he locked eyes with the redhead briefly before his eyes trailed elsewhere. It was as they moved, however, that they became focused primarily on the next target and it was the small gasp and sudden movement that summoned the brunette's attention.

He glanced to the left of himself and saw that the vampire's face had tensed, her eyes averting nervously as her lips remained parted where the gasp had broke through. What he found, however, most unusual was that her hand had snagged a hold of his jacket and she had partially closed the distance between them. She must have sensed his disbelief because she lifted her head and glanced at him before shifting her gaze to the hand in question. Realising what she had done, she broke her grasp almost immediately and glanced away, keen to open the distance between them. Confused by her gesture, his brows furrowed in both disbelief and disgust. He wondered if she was becoming too familiar with them because they had yet to kill her, but the vampiress would always be just that – a vampire; the enemy.

"...therefore we were hoping that you might join us," Shikamaru's concluding statement withdrew Kiba from his distraction. He glanced from the other brunette, towards the redhead, who still had his eyes focused on the vampiress. There was a small silence before he spoke again.

"You talk about enemies – the vampires – and yet you walk with one,"

"She is an exception," Shikamaru interjected. "She has been helping us to keep track of them. Her input has been very useful to us."

"Vampires _cannot_ be trusted," Gaara spoke again.

"And neither can y..." Naruto's comment was silenced with a carefully placed elbow into his stomach. He fought against doubling over, but the discomfort was written on his face.

"This vampire is connected to the Hyuuga family – perhaps one of the most dangerous covens in the country," Sakura decided to intervene. "The Hyuuga possess an heirloom known as the Byakugan and with it, we will be able to bring about an end to this war. Because of her, we are getting closer and closer to retrieving it. This is why we believe we can win."

"Your plans are nothing more than ideas; the vampire will betray you and you will lose," Gaara's comment was a low blow. Even Kiba, himself, was annoyed by it, but he kept calm in favour of Shikamaru's methods. "_I_ will fight as I always have fought – alone."

"But when they come, they won't just come for you," Sakura spoke again; her gaze diverted towards the kitchen and then back again."They'll come for everyone associated with you as well. But in numbers, we are strongest."

In contrast to the expression, she had probably hoped for, Gaara's eyes had hardened. He looked slightly more frightening then he had initially. His lips tightened.

* * *

He was smart enough to know what the female lycan was trying to do. They had come all this way to negotiate an alliance with him. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that they had heard of his past – many lycans had. Perhaps, based on that, they had anticipated that he would be well informed of not only their enemies, but also, of the streets in general. Perhaps they had expected a train-wreck of a character that was more animal than human, with his hands stained with the blood of many. But while this was figuratively true – he had done many horrible and terrible things in his life – such was not the case as of current, which was why he had attempted to remain hidden for so many years. He supposed it was only a matter of time before they found him, nevertheless. But now that they knew of Matsuri, he wondered if they would use that piece of information against him. And even though, it had been, but a warning, he had not taken too kindly to it. Aware that she was in the kitchen, nevertheless, he made his closing statement concise.

"I am not interested," he spoke neutrally. There was a hint of malice in his tone. "Now leave!"

He saw them glance between one another curiously. Only the vampiress kept her gaze on the floor. She was afraid of him – he could tell that much. Rather than cause a scene, however, the group's apparent leader – the brown-haired lycan with tiny eyes – nodded in understanding.

"Very well," he spoke. "But we hope that you might still consider it." With this comment, he then manoeuvred back into the hallway. One by one, the group followed suit in the order that they had arrived in. He heard the front door of the apartment open and close, and waited until he heard the hum of an engine in the quiet streets below.

Matsuri appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, carrying a mug that was smouldering lightly; he picked up on the scent of rosemary. As per usual, her footsteps were tentative as she sought to find her way towards him. Brushing against the table, she set the mug on the surface. "You should drink this," she spoke. "It'll give you energy."

She sought the chair and settled herself upon it. "How is your wound?" she asked him. Her gaze was towards him but not at him. She held out a hand. "May I see it?"

"It's fine," he told her directly. Despite her disability, she had managed to do a fine job of treating his wound and wrapping a bandage around it. He had considered that he might lose the arm at first. The silver bullet had coursed deeply into his flesh and the pain had spread across like acid. It had been Matsuri who had removed it for him, just like she had always been there to tend to any wounds he might sustain. She did not condone violence, but her loyalty to him was unchallenged. If only she had been aware of the true circumstances that had surrounded their first meeting. Maybe then, she would not have been so generous.

Her eyebrows furrowed and Gaara considered that it was perhaps due to his dismissal of her concern. When she spoke, however, she verified something completely different.

"They're right, you know?" she began. "Those lycan." A pause. "There is strength in numbers." Gaara glanced towards her curiously. "It's just that...you spend so much time fighting alone...and the attacks are getting more frequent, aren't they?" He tilted his head away from her, gaze falling to nothing in particular. She must have heard the movement because she continued. "I know because we've been moving around a lot more than usual...and your injuries..." she paused; her lack of gaze fell to the floor also, and when Gaara glanced at her next, he saw that she had rung her hands. She smiled weakly. "I just...I just want you to be safe." Though she was smiling, her eyes were sad. "Maybe those lycan can offer us solace."

Gaara had never been much for working alongside others. Before Matsuri, he had spent most of his time alone, waiting for the next full moon or the next serge of anger that would contribute to a transformation. And then he'd go on the rampage – nothing more than a mindless animal – until he had met Matsuri. And while, controlling the transformations had been difficult – and were still difficult – he had managed to exercise some form of decorum – some form of restraint - for her sake. For Matsuri had been the first person to see beyond what he was. Perhaps it was her disability or perhaps something else, but over the past few years, they had developed a mutual understanding – a bond. And in that respect, he understood that the lycan who had proposed the alliance, were correct. When they came for him, they would come for Matsuri as well and Matsuri was defenceless – innocent. He could not let any harm come to her.

He rose from his seat; the ends of the brown cloak on his shoulders dropped a mere couple of inches from the floor. Matsuri's ears pricked. "You're leaving?" she sounded both surprised and solemn at the same time.

"Yes," he responded. "I will be back later on tonight." He strode across the room and towards the corridor. "Do not open the door to anyone." And with that warning, he proceeded to leave the apartment. After all, acquiring information would be key in bringing an end to the vampires once and for all.

* * *

She wiped her arm across her brow as the machine hissed and halted to a standstill. The gloves on her hands, she pulled them off and allowed them to rest on the makeshift table behind her as she went to inspect her work. Striding to the opposite side, she peered onto the conveyor belt at the row of perfectly manufactured silver bullets that she had been working on for the past few hours. She lifted one delicately, between a finger and thumb and brought the cartridge to her face, peering at the handiwork. Smirking in satisfaction, she then placed the bullet back into the row of shells and tugged on a lever beside her. The machine momentarily swung into action and the conveyor belt sent the bullets on their way to be packed. Feeling rather proud of herself, she inhaled and exhaled deeply. She couldn't recall the exact date when they had started, but this was to be the last batch as Tsunade-sama had instructed. Once they were boxed up, they would be shipped off to the Hyuuga domain as requested. The Hyuuga were one of the most loyal and the one of the more wealthy customers.

She ran a hand through her dark hair as she manoeuvred towards the end of the conveyor belt. When she arrived, the bullets that she had sent to be packed had transformed into quaint little boxes, sealed to precision. One by one, they'd slide off the edge of the conveyor into the waiting bay, ready to be moved and prepared for distribution. Several dozen similar boxes had already been pre-packaged into crates, ready to move to street level. All she had to do was package the final lot before the delivery men came to shift the load to their customers. She felt rather proud of herself. Tsunade-sama had left her to do most of the order herself, which should have meant that the older vampire was finally recognising her ability. Shizune knew better however. After all, times were becoming stressful; bullets were now in high demand. And whenever the strain of it all, got on top of her, the older vampiress had a tendency to sneak into her office and down a bottle of sake when she reckoned no one was looking. Shizune couldn't understand her superior's behaviour at times. She often had a tendency to partake in human activities – particularly drinking and gambling. The gambling had seen her reach close to bankruptcy twice; it seemed that she was a glutton for punishment, however. As for alcohol, Shizune regarded it as positively vile. Blood was all the sustenance she needed.

She completed her work in silence. She remained inside the work station for a further half hour, packing the remaining boxes away and sealing them inside the last remaining crate. She had half expected to hear her mistress having an argument with the delivery men. More often than not, they had a tendency to be late, but that evening, they were fortunate enough to have just one delivery. Tsunade's operation was superb, however. The upper levels were her household and the lower levels were for work. Only a handful of individuals had access to the lower levels, lest the secret leak to other covens, or potentially worse, their enemies. After all, Tsunade was one of the only silver bullet makers in the general area. She had learnt the trade from her grandfather and Shizune was content to know that Tsunad had trusted her with their family trade.

Deciding that she'd earned a well-deserved break, she manoeuvred towards the entrance and pushed open the silver doors. It was quiet as she motioned along the corridors towards the stairs – just the way she liked it. The upper levels were usually animate; the phone was usually ringing off the handle and vampires would arrive to make or collect orders where necessary. There were times, however, when there were tranquil evenings. The surge of customers had began at the beginning of the month when the lycans had made themselves known. Currently, things were wining down a bit. Shipments were lasting, but she suspected that the demand would arise again and both she and her mistress would have to work overtime to meet deadlines.

She found the stairs and began the ascent up towards street level. The door in question was security enabled so she made quick work of tapping in the code and removing the seal from her neck, pressing it against the sensor, before the door permitted her exit. As she crossed onto the vibrant carpets of Tsunade's household, however, and the door sealed itself behind her, something about the atmosphere implied that something wasn't right.

Again, it was quiet. Her vampire senses were just as keen as anybody else's. Usually, she could hear footsteps, the clink of a glass in the kitchen, the secretary tapping away at her computer or a fly buzzing through the cool air. This time, however, there was nothing and it was extremely unnerving. She moved along the corridors, however, at a standard speed even though she practiced caution. She grounded her teeth together as she moved, tracing her fingers along the cream-coloured walls. She couldn't even feel a tremor from an adjoining room or the reverberations of a conversation. She gulped.

Her first instinct was to locate the Tsunade, and her footsteps soon became hurried as she manoeuvred into an adjoining corridor. It was very likely that the vampiress was situated at the front of the house. The delivery men would be expected to check in here and Tsunade was usually found waiting for them so that she could debrief them. As she approached, however, still she heard nothing.

Eventually, nevertheless, she arrived at the front of the house and expected to see their secretary situated behind the counter. She was often instructed to remain there until all deliveries were shipped. What she saw, however, caused her mouth to fall open. A stream of blood was trickling along the counter and onto the floor from a deep rouge puddle that had manifested itself on the surface. The secretary herself was cast in the midst of this puddle, her blonde hair dishevelled and stained, her skin a powder white and her eyes aghast in both fear and lifelessness. A significant chunk of her flesh was missing through the centre of her back.

"Tsu...TSUNADE-SAMA!" She screamed violently. She took a trembling step back, but then immediately fell against something solid. Her eyes widened; her breath was unsteady and she turned around gradually to meet the form of a tall figure clothed completely in black.

Several dozen sudden movements and the entry hall was sudden over-crowded with similar looking characters. The dark-haired vampire shuddered, stepping away from the figure. "Tsunade-sama!" She called again. For now, she was completed surrounded.

"Your mistress is dead," spoke one of the individuals. He stepped forward out of the crowd; the weapon in his grasp caused her heart rate to skyrocket.

"W...what do you want?" Her voice was a shaky whisper.

"We already have what we came for," came the response. "You, on the other hand, are just unlucky."

Bloodshed tarnished the walls that night.

**TBC**


End file.
